Harry Potter & The Completion of the Circle
by Deandra
Summary: Harry starts his 6th year still suffering from the death of Sirius. Will a new friend help him deal with his grief and guilt so he will be ready to face Voldemort? Canon and AU
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Figured I better get this posted before it becomes AU on July 16th! Just my version of Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts. The PG rating is probably unnecessary,but there are instances of people of the opposite sex sharing a bed - though not doing anything sexual, just sleeping. Didn't want anyone to be offended.

**_A note of explanation: Deandra Alleyan is a penname. Often I will give it to a character until I come up with the name I want to use. That is what I did here, but then I forgot to go back and change it. Once I had started posting, and was several chapters in, I realized that, and by then I figured it was too late (too confusing) to go back and change it. So, no, the lead character is NOT me! _**

**Harry Potter The Completion of the Circle**

Chapter 1

I shifted nervously in my chair and glanced around the room they called 'the Great Hall'. It was a cavernous room with four long tables running the length of it. At the end opposite the entrance was a long table set perpendicular to the other four, where I suspected the 'professors' (as they are called here) ate their meals. There didn't appear to be a ceiling to the room. Looking up, it seemed I was looking at the night sky just as if I were outdoors. Professor McGonagall had brought me in here about five minutes before and then left to go 'collect the First Years'. I wasn't really sure what that meant.

A low rumbling sound caught my attention and I looked up to see long lines of students in black wizarding robes filing into the room. Several glanced curiously at me but then continued their conversations amongst themselves. 'This is it', I thought. I hated that 'having everyone looking at you' feeling and knew it would only get worse when I was introduced. Professor McGonagall had told me I would need to be 'sorted into a house' - whatever that was. It sounded harmless enough...

After the majority of the students were seated, Professor McGonagall entered leading a line of small, young kids. The 'First Years', I presumed. Seeing them, I could now guess what it meant. I recognized the same terrified look on their faces as I had seen when I first attended wizarding school at home. Some things are universal, I guess.

I looked up at the teachers' table. I hadn't noticed them entering since I was distracted by the students coming in. Their clothing clearly indicated they were witches and wizards, no doubt about that. A few stood out more than others. There was a humongous man with wild black hair seated near the end of the table. For all his size, though, there was something warm and gentle about his eyes. There was also one who probably only reached the large man's knees, he was so short. Guess wizards come in all sizes and shapes. There was a rather sinister-looking man with greasy black hair obscuring much of his face. He didn't look very pleasant. Professor Dumbledore sat in the middle. As the headmaster, he was the one who had decided whether or not I would be here at all. Luckily for me, he had agreed to let me attend Hogwarts.

I had always wanted to come here - the school where my mother had trained. She would be pleased that I finally made it, if only for my last two years of study. At home, I actually had three more years to go, but Professor Dumbledore had 'tested' me on my knowledge and abilities, and decided it would be appropriate for me to be, what they call, a Sixth Year. That meant I only had two years more of schooling. I still wasn't sure how I felt about that. I enjoyed school and found learning magic rather exciting. Now I would miss a whole year of it by being advanced during my school change. I hoped Professor Dumbledore's confidence in advancing me wasn't misplaced.

Professor McGonagall had stepped to the front of the room and placed a stool, with a rather grungy hat on it, down in front of the new students. The room quickly fell silent without her even asking. I watched carefully as she explained the sorting ceremony and then listened as the 'hat' suddenly began singing a song. Okay, not your average hat, this one. The song seemed to give a brief history of the founding of Hogwarts and encouraged interaction and harmony between the houses. Though it didn't specifically mention him, no doubt Voldemort was the reason for the prediction of dark times ahead. In America, we were fully aware of Voldemort's rise and fall some fifteen years before. There had been rumors spreading that he had returned, though the British wizarding press kept denying it until just this past June. Still, information seemed sketchy on the subject so there was a lot of fear but little ability to act, just yet.

When the last of the First Years had been sorted, my stomach did a flip-flop as Professor McGonagall turned to me and Professor Dumbledore rose to speak. 'Guess this is it', I thought, trying to breathe normally and forcing what I hoped was a friendly smile on my face.

The noise level had risen as the last of the First Years was seated at their house table, but now silence returned as everyone turned an eager ear to the headmaster. Many seemed torn between looking at him and looking at me. They could probably guess my name was about to come up.

"As most of you have likely noticed," he said, "we have someone else new in our midst." He turned and looked in my direction. Now all eyes WERE on me - 'great!'

"This is Miss Deandra Alleyan. She is transferring to Hogwarts from a school of magic in America. She will be in Sixth Year and will room with the Sixth Year girls in whichever house she is sorted. Professor McGonagall, if you please?"

Professor McGonagall gave me a small smile of reassurance and signalled me forward. 'Okay, deep breath. Didn't kill any of the First Years to do this so it won't kill you,' I thought, moving forward and hoping desperately I wouldn't trip on this robe. At home we just wore regular clothes to school. These robes were going to take some getting used to.

I took my spot on the stool and she lowered the hat onto my head. It began to speak immediately and seemed to be reading my thoughts. As I snuck a look around, I didn't get the impression anyone could hear what it was saying except me. And then suddenly it shouted, "Gryffindor!" One whole table, almost directly in front of me, broke into applause. Apparently they had heard that part, anyway. I stood hesitantly and a wave of her hand from McGonagall directed me to go sit with my house as the First Years had done. 'Now comes the really hard part,' I thought, looking over the students at the table sitting closest to the front. A pretty girl with bushy brown hair and a friendly countenance beamed up at me and motioned me to come sit by her, so I did, grateful for the kind gesture on her part.

Professor Dumbledore had stood again as McGonagall removed the stool and hat to the side. Apparently not one for long speeches, he merely directed us to, "Tuck in!" Immediately food appeared on the plates in front of us and the table became overladen with a wide variety of choices. It was rather impressive, even if I wasn't a novice to the wizarding world.

The friendly girl, seated to my left, who had invited me to join her, promptly introduced herself. "I'm Hermione Granger. This is so exciting having a new student! I'm a Sixth Year also so you'll be rooming with me and four others. I'd be happy to show you round and answer any questions you might have."

I smiled and quietly answered, "Thanks."

It became apparent that her group included the two boys sitting directly across from us. Even though she was speaking to me, her references to 'we' and 'us' were clearly directed at them. It finally occurred to her to take a breath and introduce them as well. "This is Ron Weasley (the redhead smiled and nodded), and this is Harry Potter." Directly opposite me was a boy with unruly black hair and astonishing green eyes. Of course I recognized the name - so this was the famous Harry Potter.

I smiled at both the boys, murmured "Hello" and turned back to my meal. I guess that wasn't the typical reaction they were used to because Ron suddenly blurted out, "You DO know who Harry Potter is, don't you? I mean everyone knows him! He's famous!" I looked up, a little startled at this outburst and glanced at Harry to see his reaction. He didn't look at me but seemed a bit uncomfortable. I wasn't sure I was going to like this fellow, Ron. He was beginning to look like those celebrity hangers-on they have in Hollywood in America.

When I didn't answer Ron's questions right away, I heard Harry say quietly, "Let it go, Ron..."

"But, Harry...I mean...," Ron sputtered.

Harry flushed pink and repeated more firmly, "Just drop it, okay?"

Well, all right...I must say I'm impressed. The guy doesn't seem at all egotistical about his fame. And he had blushed in embarrassment - had to give him points for modesty.

Hermione resumed her chatter as if nothing had happened. She didn't seem at all nonplussed by the exchange that had just taken place. Ron looked puzzled by my response and Harry's reaction, but had obediently turned his attention to the food and was eating with gusto; maybe a little too much gusto. You'd think the poor guy hadn't eaten in months and this might be his last meal. I never before saw anyone put it away so fast! Harry was quiet much of the meal except to respond to questions from Ron or Hermione. He occasionally looked briefly at me but turned quickly away. I think he might have been afraid I had gotten a bad impression of him by what Ron had said. I probably could have reassured him if I wasn't so nervous. It was much easier to just let Hermione carry the conversation and simply respond to her periodic queries.

When everyone seemed to have eaten as much as they were going to - I hadn't eaten all that much and I felt stuffed to the gills

- Dumbledore stood again and made a few announcements. Stay out of the Forbidden Forest and avoid the caretaker, Mr. Filch. Well, he didn't exactly say it like that but that was the general idea. When he waved his hand in the direction of Filch and I saw who he meant, I had no desire to have a run-in with the guy. Pretty scary looking, really.

We were sent off to our dormitories and Hermione happily led me and the boys away. I kind of wondered about them coming to 'our' dormitory. They could do that here? Hermione seemed unaware of anything being 'peculiar' and continued a running monologue of anything anyone could possibly want to know about Hogwarts. After awhile I think my brain just kind of shut down and quit taking it all in, but I was able to keep the 'interested' smile plastered on my face anyway.

We made it through the portrait hole, with me making a mental note of the password - that much I HAD to pay attention to. We entered a large open space they called the common room. Lots of overstuffed chairs, couches and tables scattered about the place. A big warm fire was in the huge fireplace, feeling pleasant against the chill that was trying to settle into the room. Clearly autumn would be a bit nippier here than I was used to back home.

The prefect was loudly giving instructions to the First Years about where their dormitories, and other necessities, were located. It was after 9:00 by now and the room was beginning to clear. Everyone seemed to have had a long day and was ready to turn in. The boys said goodnight to Hermione and me and turned toward the stairs to their dorm; I followed Hermione up our stairs. I did glance back once at the common room and, for just a second, I thought I caught a glimpse of Harry, still on the stairs, looking in our direction. Then he was gone from sight and I continued on up.

The other Sixth Year girls were already there and Hermione introduced me to them. Parvati and Lavender were full of questions about America and what it was like there. I tried to patiently answer everything for them, but truth was, I was rather looking forward to climbing into bed myself. I guess I yawned enough that they finally got the hint so, assuring me that we could 'talk more tomorrow' (oh joy!), they finally retired to their own beds and left me in peace.

Hermione had shown me where I could unpack and put my belongings and I slowly opened my trunk. Right on top was a picture of my best friend Cassandra. Kind of made me homesick to see her smiling and waving at me, knowing I wouldn't see her for almost a year. But I had chosen this and I knew she was rooting for me to do well. And we could always send owls. Maybe she could come visit at Christmas or over a weekend... I yawned again, then reached for my nightgown. I'd wait and unpack tomorrow. Right now I wanted to sleep.

Hermione had been brushing her hair, but set down the brush and turned to me. "I'm headed to the lavatory. Want to come with me?" Thinking it might be best to stick close to someone until the castle was more familiar to me, I nodded gratefully. Nodded. I realized I hadn't spoken much tonight - well, except for answering all those questions Parvati and Lavender were pelting me with. I really don't think I'm all that quiet...guess I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. This place is so much different than what I am used to, and even than I imagined. A castle. A really HUGE castle somewhere in northern England. In fact, I think we had come so far north we were probably in Scotland now. Sure don't have castles like this in America!

But in a funny sort of way, it felt like home. I guess that's because of my mother. She loved attending Hogwarts...well, according to her sister she did. My mother had died shortly after giving birth to me, and her sister and brother-in-law had adopted me as their own. She was the only witch in the family, so I was raised by non-magicals. Mum and them had moved to America a few months before I was born. I never knew my father. Even my adoptive parents, who I now call Mum and Dad, didn't really know him. They had met him once, briefly, but knew very little about him. I was kind of an accident. They hadn't meant for me to happen until after they were married, but things got out of hand one night and... Mum and Dad say they feel sure he loved my mother, but that it was because of Voldemort that they were separated, and it was because of Voldemort that they all came to America. My father had wanted to get them away from England where Voldemort's influence was being felt most strongly; to keep them safe while I was born. He was going to join my mother there and they were to get married. But something went wrong. She died within a week of my birth, and he never came. Mum and Dad never heard from him. They waited two years before they legally adopted me, in case he showed up and wanted me. They figured maybe Voldemort had killed him before being destroyed himself by Harry Potter. I love Mum and Dad, but I keep feeling a need to make a connection with my mother, and maybe even find out about my father. Is he still alive somewhere? Why didn't he come for me?

I forced myself to stop thinking about these things. They just went round and round in my head but there were never any answers to the questions. Hermione was still talking non-stop, but luckily hadn't asked me anything that required an intelligent response; or if she had, apparently I had grunted a suitable answer and she didn't notice my reverie. We returned to the dormitory and climbed into bed.

Suddenly it occurred to me I didn't know what classes I had the next day. I had been given a book list, but not a class schedule. "Uh, Hermione?

"Yes," she replied.

"I don't know what my classes are tomorrow!" I confessed.

"Oh, don't worry. Professor McGonagall will give us our schedules at breakfast. That's the way they always do it."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she mumbled sleepily, clearly already beginning to drift off.

But I lay awake awhile longer pondering the day. I looked again at Cassandra's picture, that I had placed on my bedside table. Though she was nearly ten years older than me, we were as close as sisters. Her family, all of whom were part of the wizarding world, had lived next door to us all of my life. My parents were grateful to have them nearby to provide an influence and introduction to the world of magic; something they knew they couldn't do. They just sort of assumed that I would be a witch since both my mother and father had been magical; turned out they were right. Cassandra babysat me when I was young, but as I got older our friendship deepened and now we were as close as if we were blood-related. The smile and wave she was giving me from the picture, which I could just make out in the moonlight, were reassuring. I slipped off to sleep feeling more at ease.

You know how right before you fall asleep you sometimes get random images flashing through your mind? For some reason, I saw the face of a boy with unruly black hair and astonishing green eyes...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hermione awoke me at 6:00 am. I admit the time change was making itself felt. Even if witches don't travel by airplane, we still feel the time differences, though maybe not as much as...what's the word these British wizards use? Oh yeah...Muggles. I dragged myself out of bed, very much wanting a shower in hopes it would wake me up and kick my brain into gear. Hermione led the way to the showers and, like the day before, provided a running commentary on anything and everything. Still feeling a bit in a brain fog, I was grateful not to have to carry on much of a conversation - just smile and nod.

Once we had showered and dressed we made our way down to the common room. Ron and Harry were there; they seemed to have been waiting for us. Well, waiting for Hermione - I just happened to be with her. But I was glad she was willing to include me so I didn't have to figure this all out on my own. Ron and Hermione fell into step side-by-side, leading the way, so Harry and I just sort of naturally did the same, trailing along behind them. We walked in silence for a bit, when finally he asked, "So, got your bearings yet?"

Before I could answer, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me back, hard. I almost fell, but caught his arm just in time to stay on my feet. I looked at him, both startled and puzzled, and he flushed pink with embarrassment. "Sorry! There are trick steps on some of these staircases. You were about to step on one. It isn't very pleasant and it's pretty embarrassing having to have people pull you out..." He pointed to the offending stair that I hadn't noticed Ron and Hermione had automatically stepped over, without even thinking about it. He was still holding my arm, steadying me and I suddenly became aware of it and straightened up. "Thanks," I grinned. "Guess Hermione forgot to mention those."

He released my arm and we stepped carefully over the trick step, continuing on to breakfast. Ron and Hermione had put some distance between us, not having noticed my near mishap. Harry moved a little faster and I followed suit, so we caught up to them before they reached the Great Hall.

A boy with white-blond hair was slouched against the doorframe into the Great Hall, flanked by two goonish-looking sidekicks. The boy gave me an appraising look, but then noticing who I was with his eyes got hard and cold and an unpleasant smirk appeared on his face. Looking Harry in the eye, but clearly speaking to me, he announced, "How unfortunate for you, being stuck in Gryffindor with Scarhead, the Weasel and a Mudblood!" His two goons guffawed on cue at his words. At first, I wasn't too sure what the first two things he'd said meant, but even where I come from, I know calling someone a Mudblood isn't a nice thing to do.

The tension from my three companions was palpable. Ron broke the silence by declaring, "Why don't you and your thugs crawl back under your rock and let us eat breakfast in peace, Malfoy!" The boy sneered at him and replied, "No one asked your opinion, Weasel!" He gestured his friends to follow and brushed past us into the Hall, clipping Ron hard with his shoulder. Harry and Hermione both grabbed Ron to keep him from following Malfoy, as he clearly was starting to do. Obviously, this was a very old argument I found myself in the midst of.

We found seats for breakfast, while Ron and Hermione began to fill me in on the background of what had just happened. Harry remained silent throughout, just eating his toast and eggs. One thing was clear - there was longstanding enmity between them and Malfoy's group; more than could be accounted for by them being in different houses.

Just then the really humongous teacher I had noticed the night before walked by our table and greeted the three of them. They all beamed at him with pleasure - it was plain they liked this guy. Me, I found him even more intimidating close up! I'm pretty sure he could have snapped me like a twig with one hand, if he wanted to. His name was Hagrid, but they were just calling him that, not 'Professor' Hagrid. He asked who I was and Harry hastened to introduce me. He, especially, seemed to be friends with Hagrid. When he walked away, headed for the exit, I asked Harry who he was. Harry explained that he was the groundskeeper and keeper of keys for Hogwarts, but that he was also the teacher of the Care of Magical Creatures class. He didn't strike me as very 'professorial' but I decided I'd reserve judgment until I had seen him teach.

A few moments later, as Hermione had predicted, McGonagall came along, handing out class schedules to each of us. Hermione glanced at her own, then leaned over to look at mine. "Oh, great! We have all the same classes! All you have to do is follow me and I can show you where to go!" A look of amusement passed between Ron and Harry - what was that all about? Must be a private joke; something to do with Hermione, though - that much I could tell. I was beginning to get the idea that she liked to run things. She had already pretty much taken charge of me! But, at this point, I didn't mind too much. Sure made things a lot easier.

We finished eating and returned to the common room and then went our separate ways since Hermione and I had Arithmancy first and the guys had Divination. I followed her through corridor after corridor, sure that I was never going to learn my way around. Plus there was that thing about the staircases changing all the time!

All too soon, I found we were in the Arithmancy classroom. Now we'd find out if Dumbledore had been right to bump me up a grade. But as class progressed, I began to relax. Things weren't that different here and I wasn't feeling hopelessly lost, like I'd feared. Turns out, having Hermione Granger as a friend, especially if you're starting a new school in a new country, can be really useful. She's sort of what people call a 'know-it-all'. Every question the teacher asked, her hand was in the air to give the answer. Every one! At first I sat there a little in awe of her, but then it kind of became a challenge to see if I could match her! That's when I found out she's the 'nice' kind of 'know-it-all'; she didn't begrudge me a right answer at all. She liked knowing the answer but she was equally pleased to have me answer as well.

Our next class was Potions and Hermione said we'd be seeing Ron and Harry there. The professor's name was Snape and from her description he was the rather scary-looking guy I'd seen at the teachers' table last night, the one with the greasy hair that obscured his face. Didn't sound like this was going to be fun.

Harry and Ron were already there when we arrived and had saved us seats in front of them. From the moment Snape walked into the room, it was clear he didn't like Harry at all. I mean, the poor guy was just setting up his cauldron and Snape deducted points for some trivial thing! What did Harry ever do to this fellow - kill his firstborn child? Malfoy was also in this class and he, on the other hand, was given special treatment by Snape. And his smirk let us all know he felt superior to the rest of us because of it. Hermione had said that the number of O.W.L.s you had received, and at what level, determined whether or not you even got into this class. I noticed the two brainless sidekicks that previously had accompanied Malfoy hadn't made the cut - big surprise there!

Snape set us to working on a Vanishing Potion and the room became quiet except for the clank of utensils and ingredient containers. When Snape came to hover over me and watch my work, I was kind of nervous, but not too much. I was really pretty good at potion making. Cassandra had become a Healer and used them a lot in her work; she had let me practice her lessons with her when she was studying them in school, so by the time I attended wizarding school I seemed to have a jump on that particular subject. Eventually Snape moved away, without comment, but I chanced a glance at his face and saw what looked like pleased surprise, so I guess that meant he was satisfied with what he saw.

Not so with Ron and Harry, though. He verbally harangued the two of them periodically til it was little wonder they screwed up the mixture and got bad results. I don't think I could have done it right either with that going on. Kind of made me wonder how they had managed to score high enough to get into this class, all things considered. Must be something going on I didn't know about. Or maybe they just performed a lot better on the O.W.L.s when Snape wasn't around to watch and make snide comments.

Along with the others, I was glad when Potions ended. Even being good at it and feeling confident I was doing well, Snape's attitude made for a very tense classroom. The four of us headed to the Great Hall for lunch. Hermione was already planning her study schedule, and since I had the same classes, mine as well. Oh well, one less thing for me to worry about.

Harry and Ron had gotten into a discussion of the upcoming Quidditch season and wondering who would be the new team captain since Angelina Johnson had graduated. I heard something about "Harry's ban being lifted" but didn't catch the full story as to what that was all about. Another redhead, a girl this time, came up to us and announced to the boys that McGonagall wanted the Quidditch team to meet with her at 5:00 in her office.

A thought appeared to come to Harry, and looking a little worried, he asked Ginny (who turned out to be Ron's younger sister) how she felt about him trying to get back on the team. Without hesitation, she threw him a broad grin and replied, "Get real, Harry! I don't stand a chance competing against you! But to tell you the truth, I thought I'd try out for Chaser this year, instead. With Angelina and Katie gone, we'll need help there, and there's no way I want to have anyone as Seeker but you." He looked a little relieved, though I thought I caught a glimmer of suspicion that she might not be telling him the truth. Apparently Ginny saw it too and gave him a wicked grin, "Relax, Potter! I mean it!" She gave her red hair a flip and strode away giggling.

I had seen Quidditch played only once. It wasn't as popular in America as it was in Britain. I was curious to get a closer look and understand more of what I had seen. It certainly had been fast, furious and gave every impression of being highly dangerous. But having met three members of the Gryffindor team, I figured I'd have the finer points explained to me in no time. Hermione, however, didn't seem to share the others' interest. She hadn't looked up from the schedule planning any longer than it took to greet Ginny.

After lunch, we headed out of the castle down toward the forest and Hagrid's hut. Somehow we seemed to fall into the same formation as we had been in that morning – Ron and Hermione side-by-side, with me and Harry similarly placed behind them. Only this time I noticed something I had missed that morning. Ron and Hermione were casually conversing as they walked along, but they seemed to be walking closer together than necessary and frequently bumping hands.

I couldn't see Hermione's face, but every time it happened, Ron's ears flushed red. I watched for a few minutes and then quietly asked Harry, "Uh, is there something going on between those two?" When he looked at me, I gestured toward the couple in front of us. He grinned and nodded, but then whispered, "Only they haven't admitted it to themselves or each other yet!" I smiled in amusement and continued to watch their little 'bump and blush' game the rest of the way to Hagrid's cabin.

Just before we arrived at Hagrid's, Harry came to a stop. Curious, I followed suit and looked at him quizzically. "Uh, I should probably warn you about Hagrid." He paused while he considered what to say next. "He's really nice and gentle and all, but he...uh, kind of has some strange ideas about what constitutes 'interesting' creatures for us to study." When I waited for him to elaborate, he shrugged, "Just warning you – be careful is all. Some things aren't as scary to Hagrid as they are to the rest of the world." He began walking again and I nodded, a little uncertainly. I wasn't sure how to take this 'warning'. Then I figured it couldn't be anything too awful or they wouldn't let him still teach, so I tucked the words of caution away in the back of my mind. As it turned out, Hagrid had chosen something fairly benign for class that day, so I didn't get a better idea of what Harry was trying to tell me.

Our last class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had introduced a "new" teacher the previous night, a Professor Carlisle, and my three companions began a discussion about how long this one would last. Noticing my curious expression, Ron explained that all their previous DADA teachers had only lasted a year and it was rumored the job was jinxed. They were surprised Dumbledore had found anyone to teach it. By that time we had reached the classroom, so I wasn't able to find out the circumstances surrounding the departure of so many teachers. I made a mental note to ask Hermione later.

Professor Carlisle was a fairly tall willowy woman, probably in her mid-forties. She wasn't exactly what you tended to picture someone looking like who was good at self-defense. She looked more like the type people tried to protect. This ought to be interesting. I heard Hermione give a small gasp after staring at the Professor for a few minutes while she introduced herself. Then she leaned and whispered to Harry, who was sitting between us, "She's in the Order! I saw her at Snuffles' place!"

Something in the way she said it made me know she didn't intend for me to overhear, so I pretended that I hadn't. I felt, more than saw, Harry tense up next to me when she mentioned "Snuffles' place". It seemed to have an unpleasant meaning for him. Chancing a look out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hermione notice his reaction. Quietly she laid a hand on his arm and said nothing more. Gradually, he seemed to relax as their attention was drawn back to class, but I never got the impression that his mind ever left the subject. After class, he was quieter than usual and kept his eyes averted when I spoke to him, as if there was something in them he didn't want me to see.

Hermione dragged me off to the library to begin working on the first day's homework. Ron and Harry followed reluctantly, though I think it was more to kill time until their 5:00 Quidditch meeting than any earnest desire to start studying on the first day back at school. Naturally, I wasn't too surprised when they spent the next hour talking Quidditch while Hermione and I did our Arithmancy homework. Even so, I found myself distracted from what I was doing. Harry still did not seem to have recovered from his reaction to Hermione's words earlier and, more than once when I glanced his way, I caught him staring into space. Ron never noticed that he lost focus periodically, and he always managed to pull himself back to the conversation before Ron caught on, but something was clearly troubling him, deeply.

It helped my concentration when the two of them left the library shortly before 5:00, but even once they were gone, the sorrow in those green eyes seemed to haunt me. What in the world had hurt him so much by the age of sixteen? I thought of asking Hermione about it. They were such good friends that I suspected she knew, but that seemed too personal a thing to do when I was still virtually a stranger to them all. Maybe some day I would find out, or could ask, but not now, not yet. I sighed quietly. Why was I feeling so anxious to remove that hurt from his eyes? Why did I even think I could, or that anyone could? Determinedly, I turned my attention back to my homework and refused to let myself think about it any longer.

By dinnertime, Harry was closer to normal; well, what I considered normal for him. He was more talkative and he would look at people again when he spoke to them. Ron was higher than a kite because he had been voted in as the new Quidditch captain. He hadn't been on the team as long as Harry had, but apparently Harry had declined the job. He even recommended Ron as being more suitable for the job, which pleased Ron even more. I got the feeling Ron wasn't often able to 'best' Harry at things. They had set tryouts for Saturday to fill in the missing players they needed.

It was still early when we finished eating, but I was already tired. Even so, I knew Hermione would want to study and figured I probably should also, at least for a while. We made our way to the common room and commandeered a table in the corner. Ron and Harry still had a hard time settling down to the work at hand. Ron couldn't stop bringing up Quidditch and Harry didn't seem to mind being distracted from his work to join in the conversation. Periodically Hermione would give them both exasperated looks, but apparently realized chastizing would have little effect and said nothing.

By 9:00 my brain was too fogged to continue working on my essay for Potions and I finally gave up. Bidding them all goodnight, I headed off to bed. I guess they were all sort of waiting for someone to be the first to give in, because I heard Ron and Harry call it a day also as I was climbing the stairs. Hermione must have stuck it out awhile longer since she didn't show up in our dorm room by the time I had climbed into bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My first two weeks of school were all pretty much a blur. I did eventually begin to figure out my way around the castle, so even when Hermione wasn't there to lead the way, I could get to my classes. I only made a few wrong turns and I managed to remember about the trick steps and not get caught in them, though I did help pull a First Year out of one the second day. Classes were going pretty well and I found that I didn't seem to be behind in any of them. Occasionally I would find that they had covered something I never had and I'd have to do a little catch up (not too difficult with Hermione around), but sometimes I also knew about something they hadn't yet covered.

Hermione and I had gone to the Quidditch tryouts the second Saturday (they didn't find anyone they were happy with at the first one and held another one), but she took along her books and didn't spend much time watching. Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to focus on schoolwork while sitting in the sunshine on such a beautiful autumn day. I watched the tryouts with interest. Even though I didn't understand everything I was seeing, I began to discern what was good playing and what wasn't. Some of the people that tried out for Chaser were really awful. They couldn't seem to hang onto the ball ('Quaffle', as Ron insistently reminds me whenever I call it a 'ball') or pass it to other Chasers or get it past the Keeper. One kid, Colin Creevey, did pretty well. He seemed to be a friend of Ron's sister, Ginny, who had successfully won one Chaser spot on the team. I think they're both Fifth Years.

I hadn't had much chance to see the Hogwarts grounds, so I talked the guys into showing me around. Hermione finally agreed to put aside her books for a little while and join us. We visited with Hagrid (Harry had warned me to refuse any offers of food he made) and I met his boarhound, Fang, who seemed especially fond of Ron and Harry and drooled all over the both of them. I had seen the Quidditch field that morning, and we avoided the Forbidden Forest, though they pointed it out and told me some of the things that had happened to them when they had been in it. Finally, we ended up just sitting by the lake and watching the Giant Squid lazily playing in the water.

Sitting there, all right with the world, it didn't seem possible there could be such evil as Voldemort anywhere in the world, though an unpleasant tug of reality reminded me I didn't really believe that. Somehow just thinking about it for that brief moment cast a shadow on my happy mood. Voldemort. Seems like a lot of the bad/sad things in my life tie to him. Losing my mother, never knowing my father - both those things had to do with him. I found myself at school and friends with the boy who had somehow defeated him all those years ago. And here, even more than in America, there was talk about his return. In America, it still amounted more to rumors; probably no one wanted to believe it. But in Britain, the wizarding community had finally been convinced he was back. My three companions were largely responsible for that. They hadn't told me the whole story, but I had picked up bits and pieces here and there, and knew it involved an attack on the Ministry of Magic by Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.

As I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them, lost in my reverie, I felt a nudge. Harry was looking at me curiously and asked, "Are you all right?" He hesitated, then added, "You just got real quiet and, well...sort of somber, all of a sudden." I hadn't noticed that Ron and Hermione had gotten up at some point and begun walking around the lake, so we were sitting there alone. I sighed and considered a moment; usually I only talked to Cassie about these things. I hadn't even wanted to burden my parents with it. They never heard a lot of what was going on in the wizarding world, but there was plenty of talk at school so I knew more than they did about the rumors of Voldemort. I hadn't wanted to worry them. They had lived through his first reign of terror.

I realized I hadn't answered Harry, and he was beginning to shift uncomfortably, like he thought maybe he had offended me with the question. Before I knew what I was doing, I began to pour it all out to him. It was the first time I had really shared anything personal with any of them. I had given them bits and pieces, but nothing appreciable. I spent more time listening to them than sharing, and up til now, no one had pressed me on it. Maybe it was a relief to get it out. I missed having Cassie so close by; we often talked late into the night, making it difficult to get up the next morning.

Harry didn't interrupt my longwinded monologue; just listened silently. When I finished, and looked tentatively at Harry to see his reaction, I found the sorrow of our first day had returned to his eyes. A muscle in his jaw was twitching tightly and somehow I knew he was fighting back tears. I knew this didn't really have anything to do with what I had told him; well, not specifically anyway - but something I had said had triggered painful memories in him. I wanted to comfort him, but I was afraid to touch him. He looked like he might take off running if I did. He was seemingly in some private hell that I could not reach, and still did not fully understand. So I just sat there quietly beside him and let him regain control, if he could.

Ten or fifteen minutes had passed when I noticed that Ron and Hermione were returning to the spot where we sat, and I mentioned it to Harry. His face got a look of panic and he jumped up, mumbled, "Sorry!" and took off toward the castle at a quick pace. When Ron and Hermione reached me, naturally they asked where Harry had gone. I had a feeling they would chase him down if they knew he was upset, and I was pretty sure he had departed hastily so they wouldn't see, so I lied and told them he had decided to go take a nap. They seemed inclined to return to the castle as well, so I rose and accompanied them. When we got to the common room, I was afraid Ron might head upstairs in search of Harry, so I engaged him in a conversation about Quidditch, and he settled into an armchair, talking with relish about his favorite subject. Hermione stuck it out a few minutes before retrieving her Transfiguration textbook and starting to read.

It was maybe an hour later when Harry came through the portrait hole into the common room. It only took a moment for it to register with Ron that he hadn't been upstairs asleep. "Harry? Where have you been? I thought Deandra said you were going to take a nap?" He glanced at me, and I thought I saw a glimmer of gratitude flash briefly over his face, before he replied, "I was going to, but I decided to...go down and visit Dobby for a bit, in the kitchen. I haven't seen him in awhile."

Ron straightened up, "You didn't bring anything back to eat, did you? I'm starving!" Hermione snorted, "What else is new, Ron! Dinner is in an hour." Ron pouted at her, "I'm a growing boy. I need my strength." Wisely, Hermione smirked down at her book but said nothing more on the subject. Harry shook his head since Ron had turned back in his direction, "Sorry. Didn't think about it."

Ron rose and headed off to his dorm room to hit his stash of candy to tide him over the next hour and Harry sat down in a nearby chair, the farthest away from where Hermione had resumed her reading. Ever so quietly, so much so that I almost didn't hear him, he whispered, "Thanks." I nodded my head slightly to let him know I had heard, but made no comment. When Ron returned, he brought his Wizard Chess set and asked if Harry wanted to play. I don't think he really did, but he agreed anyway. I went and got some parchment, a quill and some ink and began a long overdue letter to Cassie.

Dinner passed uneventfully, and Ron and Harry were finally persuaded by Hermione to begin working on their homework, rather than waiting until Sunday, as they clearly had intended to do. I think they were both a little too tired to argue, and figured they might as well get some of it out of the way rather than quarrel with her. Ron began struggling through our Herbology essay and Harry was trying to practice a Retrieval Charm that Professor Flitwick had us working on.

He wasn't having much success with it and was getting a little frustrated. Suddenly I was hit with an impish urge and pulled my wand out under the table, still seemingly focused on my Herbology reading. When Harry tried again to retrieve the balled up sock he was using, I muttered a Repulsing Charm too low for him to hear and he watched in amazement as the sock moved away from him instead of toward him. Suppressing a smile, I continued to pretend to be reading and not to have noticed, as he looked around at each of us suspiciously and then glanced around the room as well. The room was fairly deserted just then, and those who were there weren't particularly paying any attention to us. After a moment, he shrugged, moved the sock back to its starting position and tried the Charm again. Once more, I repulsed it away, this time toward Hermione. Harry's head jerked up and his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Hermione!" She tore her attention from what she was writing to look at him questioningly, "Yes?"

"Did you do that?" he asked, now a little more uncertainly.

"Do what?" she asked, obviously perplexed.

"Make the sock...move away when I tried to retrieve it." I think he was beginning to feel a little foolish about the accusation.

"Of course not! I don't even have my wand out!" She rolled her eyes at him and returned to her essay.

Ron had looked up in interest, glad to be distracted from his own essay, but shrugged and shook his head in denial when Harry looked questioningly at him. "Wasn't me, mate." By then I couldn't stifle a snicker, and they both turned to me, Harry staring accusingly at me a moment before finally grinning. "Sorry," I muttered through my efforts at not giggling. "I couldn't resist!" He snatched the sock back to its starting position, ordered me to put both hands on the table where he could see them, glared warningly at me and attempted the Charm again, this time successfully. I grinned, returned my wand to my robe pocket and went back to my reading.

By now, Ron was frustrated enough to begin whining to Hermione for help and after a considerable amount of time spent chiding him; she finally gave in and helped him with his homework. To do so, they shoved their chairs closer together so they could more easily see his paper together. I had a sneaking suspicion that 'sitting closer together' was more the point than 'getting help' had been. Harry was grinning down toward his parchment too, so he may have been thinking the same thing.

All of us called it a night some time after 11:00 but when I got to bed, I found I couldn't really relax and get to sleep after all. I fought it for about an hour, but I couldn't put the events of the day out of my head enough for slumber, so I finally gave in and got up. I grabbed my letter to Cassie and writing materials, then headed downstairs to the common room so I wouldn't disturb anyone else. At first, I thought I was alone, but when I set my things on the table, the inkbottle slipped down with a thump and I heard something stir over on the couch in front of the fire. I turned to see Harry looking curiously at me. "What are you doing up?" he asked, sounding a bit hoarse.

I walked over to the couch and sat down next to him, leaning back, "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd finish my letter. What about you?" He shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, "Same. Couldn't sleep." That terrible sorrow had returned to his eyes, and this time the tears seemed even closer to the surface than they had this afternoon. Maybe he had already been crying; that would explain the hoarseness in his voice. I was at a loss for what to do. I wasn't sure I knew him well enough to ask him any questions, and I wasn't sure he was capable of answering them just then anyway. Finally, I couldn't help myself; I reached over and put an arm around him consolingly. The next thing I knew, he was sobbing into my shoulder. All I could do was hold him for as long as he needed me to.

His tears seemed to continue forever and come from his very soul. My arm was aching where he had been leaning on it the entire time, and it was beginning to fall asleep, but more than that, my heart ached with a desire to ease his pain. And I felt so helpless to do anything; so we just sat there, and he cried. After an eternity, his sobs subsided and he gradually quieted. I'm not sure how, but he ended up lying on the couch, his head in my lap as I stroked his hair soothingly. His eyes were closed and slowly his face was beginning to relax. He looked so much like a lost little boy as he lay there. I knew there was nothing I could say, nothing I could do - just continue to stroke his head until he fell asleep. I guess I eventually did too.

Later, much later, I awoke and he was gone; the fire had almost died out. Someone, I suspected Harry, had put a blanket over me as I sat there sleeping. Stiffly I stood, collected my letter and writing implements and returned to my bed. It was nearly four in the morning. I didn't think I could go back to sleep with my mind replaying what had just taken place, but I eventually dropped off.

It was after 10:00 when I finally awoke. Hermione and the other girls were long gone. I got up and dressed, then made my way downstairs. Hermione had resumed her seat at the table and was again reading. She looked up when I came in, smiled and waved me over. She pushed a napkin toward me and a jug of pumpkin juice. The napkin concealed several pieces of toast. She pulled out her wand and warmed the toast for me, and I thanked her for saving me some breakfast. "I figured you might get hungry if you had to wait til lunch," she explained. I glanced around as I ate, "Where are the guys?"

"Harry's still asleep. Ron and Ginny went out to practice Quidditch." After a moment she asked, "How come you were so tired?" I shrugged, unwilling to explain all that had happened, then just said, "I couldn't sleep so I got up to finish my letter. Guess I stayed up too long." The answer seemed to satisfy her, and it was mostly the truth. It just left out the part about Harry and the fact that I never actually worked on the letter.

Speaking of Harry, he chose that moment to stumble downstairs, still looking a bit bleary-eyed. His eyes fell on the stack of toast and he sat down next to me. "Mind if I have one of these?" he asked, reaching out his hand. I nodded consent, and he smiled his gratitude, which, if I'm not mistaken, included more than the toast. Without looking up from her book, Hermione said, "Well, I know why Deandra's such a sleepyhead today, but why are you?" He glanced at me questioningly, wondering what I had told her. I explained, "I couldn't sleep and stayed up too late with a letter I was writing." He nodded ever so slightly, then answered Hermione, "I couldn't get to sleep either."

Rather than satisfying her, it seemed to pique her interest further and she looked at him with concern, "You aren't having...dreams...again, are you?" I didn't know what she meant, but it clearly worried her. Harry shook his head quickly, "No. Just couldn't sleep, that's all." She didn't seem entirely convinced but let the subject drop. The worried crease in her forehead remained, though, as she turned back to reading. I pushed the remaining pumpkin juice toward Harry and he gratefully finished it off.

Glancing out the window, I saw it was another fine day. A breeze had picked up and even at 10:30, it looked a bit nippy out. Even so, I felt like I wanted to stretch my legs, and maybe the exercise would clear away some of the cobwebs fogging my head. "Think I'll go for a walk. Anyone want to come?" I asked the others. Hermione shook her head and continued reading. Swallowing the last bite of toast, Harry stood, "Sure. I'll join you."

We said goodbye to Hermione, got our cloaks and headed for the exit. Neither of us spoke again until we were on the castle grounds. We never discussed where we were going, but we ended up walking down toward the lake. Finally, hesitantly, Harry spoke, "Uh...about last night..." He stopped, apparently searching for the right words. All he was able to come up with was, "Thanks." Out of the corner of my eye, he looked nervous. I suspect he felt a little foolish for crying like that. Guys tend to be that way. Quietly, I commented, "That pain must have been bottled up an awfully long time."

He made a strangled sound, and when I looked at him, I thought maybe he was going to start crying again. But he regained his composure after a brief struggle and just nodded. Then, slowly, he began to talk, telling me everything. The Dursleys, Voldemort, Sirius and all the things he blamed himself for. And he told me about the Prophecy, what he had to do - murder or be murdered. We kept walking the entire time and when he finished, we found ourselves at the far end of the lake in an area where most students never bothered to wander.

He flung himself down at the foot of a tree, looking as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. I guess, in a way, it was. I frantically searched for the words to convey my thoughts to him, so he'd understand. "Harry," I said softly, sitting down beside him, "there's a big difference between killing in self-defense, or the defense of others, and murder. Murder is personal and selfish and actively sought as a solution to a problem. You aren't a murderer if you kill someone who is trying their best to kill you, if there is no other way to stop them. And there isn't any other way to stop Voldemort. If he doesn't die, when he comes after you, he'll just keep coming back again and again. None of us wants a fight to the death, but he isn't giving us that choice. He's coming to kill us whether we fight to live or simply let him slay us. It's HIS choice to fight; we - YOU - haven't been given an option."

He looked at me, startled by my words. Clearly, he had never considered things in that light before. As I watched his face, I saw him begin to accept this new idea and some of the fear and worry and anger drained from his features. When he turned back to face me, again he didn't seem to know how to phrase his thoughts, so once more he settled for, "Thanks." And then we just sat, in companionable silence, for a very long time. All of a sudden, he started and looked quickly at me, directly into my eyes. My quizzical expression prompted an explanation and he said, "I just figured out whose eyes yours remind me of!"

"Oh?" _I never knew he had ever paid any attention to my eyes..._

"Yeah...Sirius. He had penetrating grey eyes, also." He had told me Sirius' history, how he and Harry had become as close as father and son in the past two years, and about his death, for which Harry blamed himself. I wasn't sure of the significance of this observation, but somehow I felt like it was a compliment of sorts. I had smiled and looked away when he told me that, but when I turned back, the look on his face confirmed the feeling. My smile widened for a moment, then faded as I saw his expression change. He was looking at me strangely and my stomach started doing a tap dance. Next thing I knew he had leaned over and kissed me. It was just the kind of kiss you imagine for your first kiss - slow and sweet and...perfect. He pulled back, looking a little embarrassed, unsure how I would react. But I guess my smile convinced him that I hadn't minded at all. He put his arm around my shoulders and moved closer. I let my head come to rest on his shoulder, and we just sat silently watching the lake lap on the shore.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When we returned to the castle, it was already dinnertime, so we went straight to the Great Hall. Hermione confronted us at once, "Where have you been? I've been worried sick. You didn't show up for lunch!" We blinked in surprise at her outburst, and I answered, "We went for a walk. You knew that."

"ALL DAY!" People were starting to look in our direction now that she was shouting.

"Okay, a LONG walk. We got to talking and lost track of the time, that's all. What's the big deal?"

She glared at me a moment and then turned on Harry. "How could you? After all that's happened, didn't it occur to you that I'd be frantic?" I wasn't really sure why she was so upset by this, especially if she secretly liked Ron. I mean it wasn't like I had snuck off with a boy she liked. What was her problem? But Harry seemed to understand it more than I did. "Sorry, Hermione," he said quietly. "We really didn't notice the time. I should have known you'd be worried. I'll try to be more careful." That was enough to dispel her anger and she flung her arms around his neck. "I'm just glad you're safe," she exclaimed with relief. Then I realized what this was all about. As his friends, naturally they were concerned about what he had to do, what he had to face. His disappearance had scared them. When we sat down to eat, no one made further mention of the matter.

September stretched into October and before we knew it, Halloween was almost upon us, which turned out to be the first weekend trip to Hogsmeade. Despite the kiss we had shared that day at the lake, Harry and I weren't exactly dating or anything. I mean, we were much closer friends and all after that, but Harry seemed content to just leave it at that and I didn't push it. I'd only known the guy a few weeks, so I figured it might be a good idea to wait awhile longer before thinking about any kind of 'relationship'. Still, I guess my letters to Cassie must have been overladen with references to 'Harry' and she began teasing me about my 'boyfriend'. I made real sure no one got a look at those letters.

A few days before the Hogsmeade trip, a really weird thing happened. Draco Malfoy, who had rarely spoken to me since that first day in the Great Hall, stopped me in the hall when I was walking alone to the library. He had continued his ongoing 'battle' with my three friends, and the four of them could rarely be in the same room for long without someone saying something unpleasant. Since it wasn't my fight, I tried to remain aloof from the proceedings, thinking it best not to take sides. Maybe that had surprised him or something. Maybe he just assumed that if I was hanging around with his three enemies I would be swayed to their view of things. When I didn't give any indication that I had been, he noticed.

Anyway, he asked to speak to me and we stepped over out of the way of the few others who were walking in the corridor. When no one was nearby, he somewhat nervously said, "I...uh...wanted to ask you something." I looked at him curiously and waited, having no clue what was coming. He took that as a good sign and pressed on, "Well...would you go to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday?" He said it really fast and it took a moment to register what he had said. Draco Malfoy was asking me out? The dreaded, awful Slytherin, Draco Malfoy? I couldn't process this right away. The longer I paused, the more nervous he seemed to get, until finally his fidgeting shook me out of my stupor. I couldn't think of any reason to refuse him; I hadn't made any specific plans with my friends. And maybe some good could come of this. I looked into Draco's eyes and saw...fear? Of me? Of rejection? I sure didn't see the rude, obnoxious jerk he usually presented himself as. So I told him, "Sure. It sounds like fun." Apparently he had already determined my answer would be no and was starting to recover his callous attitude as a defense mechanism, because a swaggering, disinterested smirk had just appeared on his face when my words finally sunk in. He immediately deflated, "Yes?" "Yes," I repeated. Hesitantly he grinned and then it grew broader, "Great! I'll...uh, see you by the castle entrance Saturday then; 9:00 okay?" I nodded and he moved away, still smiling, somewhat with relief. So, Draco Malfoy wasn't nearly so self-assured as he tried to appear. I ruefully shook my head and continued on to the library.

Only when I got there and tried to research my Charms paper did it fully hit me what I had done. 'Uh oh,' I thought, 'this is gonna go over like a lead balloon with the others.' Coward that I am, I refrained from mentioning the matter until Friday, and only then did I tell them because the subject came up and I couldn't avoid it any longer. They were talking about all the places they could show me in Hogsmeade and I finally realized I had to get this over with. "Uh, guys..." I began. They looked at me expectantly, having no idea the bombshell I was about to drop. "Well, see, it's like this..." This was harder than I thought it would be, now that the time had come. "What?" prompted Hermione. "Well, uh, someone has invited me to visit Hogsmeade with him, and I kind of said yes."

Ron looked disbelieving, "You've got a date? And you didn't tell us?" Hermione squealed with delight, but I knew from the glance she threw at Harry that she thought it was him. I had always had the feeling after our daylong disappearance while 'talking' that she had suspected there was something going on between us. But Harry's face had frozen. He sure never expected to be hearing this. "So who is it?" Hermione asked. "Who are you going with?" Now came the really hard part - I was about to suck all the good feeling out of this room with two little words. "Draco Malfoy," I practically whispered.

Ron and Hermione's chins dropped and neither could get any words out, of shock or otherwise. But Harry looked like I had just punched him in the stomach with all my might. I would have done anything just then to take back what I had said and have it not be true - anything to not have him looking at me like that. What was the emotion I was seeing in his eyes? And then I knew - betrayal. He felt I had betrayed him. I wanted to explain, to make that look go away, but I knew there was nothing I could say to make it right. Even if I had said it was all just a joke and not true, I don't think he would have thought it funny. I offered the only explanation I could, "He asked me, nicely, and there was no reason to turn him down. He's never done anything bad to me." I knew it didn't help, so I just turned and went upstairs to bed. There was nothing more to be said.

I was still lying awake and heard Hermione come in about an hour later. She paused near my bed, and I thought she was going to try and talk to me, but after a few seconds she moved on to her own bed and got undressed.

When I got up the next morning, Hermione was already gone and the guys were not to be found in the common room, so I went down to breakfast alone. I saw them all sitting together and they glanced in my direction when I came in but quickly looked away. I took that to mean they'd prefer I not sit with them, and I sat alone near the end of the table. I could see the Slytherin table from where I was sitting. Draco looked at me briefly and then glanced at the other three, sitting apart from me, and his eyes narrowed. I guess he knew they had found out about the Hogsmeade trip. I wasn't very hungry, but I quickly swallowed a little toast and juice and then returned to the dorm to get my cloak and some money.

I wasn't anxious to come face-to-face with the others, so I hastily departed before they returned and went to lurk in the library until it was time to meet Draco. I spent the time trying to calm my nerves and force the unpleasantness of the night before out of my mind. It wasn't fair to Draco to let that overshadow our day. Criminey, I wasn't marrying the guy or anything; it was just a date. If we didn't get along, this would be the end of it. If we did, well...I'd worry about that if it happened. Somehow I just couldn't imagine becoming romantically involved with Draco. Granted, the guy is good-looking, and he makes it clear to everyone that he comes from a rich and powerful family. That doesn't really matter to me very much, but I see how impressed the Slytherin girls are by it. But...I don't know...I just can't imagine having 'feelings' for him. Friends, maybe, if he can act like a human being, but anything more... I just can't picture it. My time had run out and I headed for the entrance to meet him, preparing myself for the surprised looks from many other students and the dirty looks from my possibly former best friends.

Draco was already there when I arrived, slouched against a wall, trying to look cool. Even so, I thought I detected a flash of relief when he saw me approaching him. Maybe he thought I'd change my mind, or have it changed for me, and not show up. And his face still looked a little wary as I greeted him, like he was afraid I was still going to back out. To ease his discomfort, I smiled and said, "I'm all ready." I tried to say it cheerily and hopefully it sounded better to him than it did to me. Sounded a little too forced in my ears, but it was the best I could manage just then. I didn't see any sign of my 'friends' and finally decided they had gone on ahead in an effort to avoid me.

Walking to the front gate of Hogwarts was an awkward affair. Neither of us knew what to say to the other since, basically, I only knew bad stuff about him and he pretty much knew nothing about me. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer and asked, "So, tell me about Hogsmeade. What's it like?" My friends had already filled me in pretty thoroughly, but this seemed a safe enough subject to break the ice with and he latched gratefully onto it. He began a colorful description of all his favorite, and not so favorite, places to visit. And he told me about the Shrieking Shack which was nearby. By the time we reached the village, he had finished his discourse and we both seemed more relaxed. "So, what would you like to see first?" he asked.

We decided to just sort of wander the streets and visit shops as we came to them, if they looked interesting enough. One of the first places was the owl post office. I had never been in such a complete wizarding environment before and it was astonishing to see all those various kinds of owls waiting to deliver messages. He was interested in stopping in the Quidditch shop, so we did that for a bit and then continued on to the joke shop. He bought a few things, but I'm not much of a practical joker so I passed on that. Next up was Honeydukes and the widest assortment I had ever seen of sweets. He seemed to enjoy explaining to me the many ones I didn't recognize, and made me try a lemon sherbet ball, without warning me it would levitate me a few inches off the ground. He paid for that with a scratch on his cheek where my fingernail snagged him as I frantically grabbed onto him when I started to rise. It was funny, once I got used to it, but he really should have warned me.

We started down a fairly deserted lane on our way to see the Shrieking Shack, when just outside of town we came upon Ron, Hermione and Harry. My mouth went dry and I really wanted to be invisible right about then. Something seemed to come over Draco. Maybe he thought it would impress me since the Slytherin girls always ate it up; maybe he thought I had broken up with my friends when I agreed to go out with him and that I would want to hurt them, I don't know. But he started in on them. At first, they showed great restraint and I realized with surprise that they were actually trying to be civil to him, for my sake.

He took their passiveness as encouragement to go further and his verbal assault became nastier. "Draco, don't..." I said, reaching for his arm. But he was on a roll, and didn't seem to even remember I was there. I started to walk away but out of the corner of my eye I saw him slipping his wand from his cloak. Without hesitation, my wand was out and I said the first hex that came to mind, "Silencio!" Any curse he had intended to utter was now choked in his throat. Before he could register his loss of voice, I followed with, "Tentacula!" Strong rope cords sprang from my wand and bound him securely from head to foot, and he fell to the ground when he overbalanced on his strapped legs. I stared at him for a moment, laying there and looking shocked. I stepped close enough for him to hear and said in a low, angry voice, "I don't like bullies"; and then I turned and started walking back to Hogwarts.

My friends were gaping, first at Draco and then at me, utterly stunned by what they had just witnessed. A moment later Hermione had recovered and ran to catch up with me. The boys followed her lead.

For a few minutes, Hermione still seemed at a loss for words. Eventually, though, she asked what I'm sure the others were thinking, "Uh, Deandra...what happened back there?" None of them had ever seen me get angry before; I rarely do. But like I told her, "I don't like bullies." That answer apparently didn't satisfy her, "No, I mean..." She stopped, uncertain what her question really was, I think. But I could guess. I stopped and turned to face them, "You mean, why did I go out with him in the first place when _all_ of you told me he was a creep?" She didn't answer but they got a look on their faces that told me that WAS their question, though the way I phrased it didn't make it sound so reasonable as they'd thought.

I was still angry; with Draco and with them. But regardless of what happened next, I thought it important for them to understand. "I went out with him because he ASKED me to, NICELY. And up until a few minutes ago, he's been fun to be with and I've had a good time. I'm sorry if that offends you, but it's true. I can't hold grudges against people simply because someone else doesn't get along with them. If I'm going to hate someone, it will be because they've given ME a reason to, not because they gave someone ELSE a reason to. Okay? Are you satisfied?" And I turned on my heel, striding furiously away.

I think I thought they'd just stay there, but they didn't. Before I knew it, they had caught up with me again and we were walking back to Hogwarts together. They didn't say anything, for which I was grateful. The energetic walking gradually worked off most of my anger, and seeing that I seemed to be relaxing a bit, Harry ventured, "Uh, do you suppose someone should go back and free him? Or at least remove the silencing charm so he can call for help?" I shook my head no, and then grinned wickedly, "The spell will wear off shortly before 5:00. It doesn't last." Ron commented, "But that will barely give him time to get back without being late." I shrugged, "He should have thought of that before he made me mad." And suddenly we were all laughing together; it felt good to have them back on my side.

We whiled away the remainder of our afternoon in the common room. I finished a letter to Cassie and started one to my parents. Hermione read, as usual, while Ron and Harry played several games of Exploding Snap. When it came time to go to dinner, I tried not to let it show how nervous I was about seeing Draco again. I didn't think he would hesitate to make a scene. As a precaution, before leaving the dorm, I put a Rebounding Spell on myself.

See, one of the things about me is that Cassie and I love to study up on 'old' magic. Over the course of time, some spells came and went. Not that the ones that 'went' weren't good, but they sort of fell out of vogue. There were other spells that accomplished pretty much the same thing, and people preferred to use them. Eventually, many of the old spells were forgotten, except perhaps by very old wizards and witches. Cass and I had become pretty adept at these old spells and the advantage to using them is that your opponent doesn't recognize the spell, so it's harder to counteract (or remove). The 'Tentacular' spell I had used on Draco was one of them. There are numerous Binding spells so that one is rarely ever used anymore. Even Hermione had me explain it to her because she had never heard of it. This Rebounding Spell I was using was one of my favorites. It always caught others off-guard. You could specify how long it would last, up to twelve hours (which was the default), so whenever you went somewhere that you suspected might prove dangerous, or might meet pranksters, you could apply this charm. Whoever tries to hex you better move quick or they get hit with their own hex. I've only seen one person manage to dodge it. I tended to keep these old spells as my little secret; it gave me an advantage against any opponent.

Steeling myself for the worst, I headed down to the common room with Hermione, where we joined the guys and moved on to the feast. The Great Hall was already filling up fast when we arrived.

I easily spotted Draco at the Slytherin table and the look of malice on his face made it clear he was furious with me. He was back with his two mindless slugs, Crabbe and Goyle.

Professor Dumbledore welcomed everyone to the feast and the food appeared in magnificent abundance. I was sitting across from Ron and Harry, at the end of the table and I happened to look at Ron when the food appeared. I have never seen anyone so enraptured at the thought of eating as he is. I smiled to myself, remembering how I had thought that first day that I might not end up liking him very much. Turned out I was dead wrong about that. He had his quirks, but he was really a decent guy when all was said and done. Well, other than the fact he was too chicken to tell Hermione he liked her.

Suddenly I became aware of a shadow over my plate and looked up to see Draco leaning menacingly toward me. Ron and Harry both had stiffened in case their help was needed, but wisely they thought it best to let me try handling it first.

Draco's words were clipped and mean, "I want to talk to you in private, NOW." I looked mildly at him and returned my attention to my plate, refusing to look at him. That apparently threw him off; whatever he had expected my reaction to be, this wasn't it. After a beat, he snarled, "Did you HEAR me!"

I looked up at him, directly into his eyes, and replied quietly, "I don't take orders from anyone, least of all you. If you want to speak with me, you'll have to ASK me, in a civil manner." And I turned back to my plate again, briefly noting that Ron was beginning to look real nervous and Harry's eyes had gotten very round. Next to me, Hermione began to choke slightly on a piece of food she had swallowed wrong.

Draco stood glaring at me for what seemed like an eternity, but finally snapped, "May I please speak with you in private?" His clipped tone would hardly qualify as civil, but since he had made an effort, I laid down my knife and fork and gestured for him to lead the way. He seemed almost startled. I guess he didn't believe I meant it.

The looks on Ron and Harry's faces told me they weren't at all sure I should go anywhere with Malfoy, especially not alone, but I put a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder as I left, and they kept to their seats. Harry was going to trust me to know what I was doing even if he thought me crazy; that was nice to know.

Outside the Great Hall, Malfoy led me some distance away to an alcove off the foyer so we weren't likely to be overheard (or anyone hear me scream for help?). As soon as I joined him there, he rounded on me, "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE ME LIKE THAT!" My eyes narrowed but I said nothing. Without thinking, he grabbed my arm in anger, holding tightly enough I was pretty sure I'd have a bruise the next day. Then I said quietly and firmly, "Let go of me, Draco. You got what you deserved. They weren't bothering you and you not only bullied them but were going to hex them before they could even draw their wands in defense, and for no reason whatsoever. I don't tolerate bullies."

"Then why did you go out with me? " he spat angrily, dropping my arm.

"I wasn't going out with a 'bully'! I was going out with a guy who had seemed rather pleasant when he invited me to join him. In fact, I was enjoying his company until he felt the need to revert to stone-age behavior."

He blinked in surprise, "You had fun? Then why did you...?"

"I told you. I was enjoying you being _you_, but I wasn't enjoying you being a _bully_. Look, Draco, I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of your snotty behavior is all for show, and that there's actually a pretty decent person hidden in there somewhere. I'm willing to be friends with that decent person, if he really exists, but if you're content to be a smart-mouthed, nasty little creep, then you're better off hanging around with Crabbe and Goyle. _They_ don't set any standards for their friendships. _I_ won't tolerate a bully." I crossed my arms and leaned back against the wall while he thought about what I had said.

Groping for words, he finally asked in astonishment, "You're STILL willing to be friends with me?" Clearly he found this impossible to believe.

"Like I said, it depends on how you choose to define 'me'," I replied firmly. "If 'me' is the guy I spent most of the morning walking around Hogsmeade with, then, yes, I'm still willing to be friends with him. But if 'me' is the bully I had to hex into submission, then, no, I'm not interested."

"What about Potter, and the others?" he asked suspiciously.

"What about them? They don't choose my friends for me, as you've already seen."

"I kind of got the impression that maybe you and Potter were...more than friends," he challenged. "He isn't going to want his girlfriend running around with his mortal enemy, telling all his secrets."

I flushed red, and I'm pretty sure he could tell, even if we were in the shadows. "I'm not Harry's girlfriend," I murmured. "We're just good friends." I paused and then made clear, "And neither of you is going to be told anything the other may have told me in confidence. I won't help either of you fight each other. Your argument is between the two of you – leave me out of it."

He stared at me for quite awhile and then observed, "You fancy him, though, don't you? If he asked you to be his girl, you'd say yes, wouldn't you?"

I flushed red again and struggled to find an answer. I wanted to say it wasn't so but, in that instant, I realized just how very true his words were. And he saw it in my face, the self-realization. "You really think you can pull this off? Be friends with me and date Potter?" he asked in astonishment. "Even if I agree, he's never going to go for it!"

"So, does that mean you DO want to be friends with me," I countered. After a pause, he nodded, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Then let's give it a go. And you let me worry about Harry, though it _would_ make things easier if you could at least try to be civil. And if you can't do that, try to avoid him altogether."

That made him smile; a real smile. The kind he didn't often show in school. I turned to go back to the feast but he caught me by the arm again, this time without hurting me. When I looked back at him, he asked again, "Why?"

I shrugged and then answered as best I could, "Because when I look in your eyes, I think I see someone who would desperately like to have a real friend. Not just a Crabbe-and-Goyle sycophant." He released my arm and slowly nodded. I reached out and squeezed his arm before moving away, back to the Great Hall.

I think Harry, Ron and even Hermione must have been watching the doorway ever since I left. They were certainly all staring at it when I came back and sat down. I reached for some more pudding, but I could tell they were all waiting expectantly to find out what had transpired. Hermione finally couldn't stand it any longer and blurted out, "Well, what happened?"

I swallowed my bite and glanced at each of them before saying simply, "We settled our differences. I think we can be friends now." This certainly was not what they were anticipating. "Friends?" asked Ron in astonishment. "With Malfoy?"

I nodded and then said emphatically, mostly for Harry's sake though I couldn't bring myself to look directly at him, "Yes, Ron, friends. With Malfoy. Only friends. And I made it clear to him I would do no spying for him or for any of you. Your quarrel with him is between you."

I could feel Harry's gaze on me and I didn't dare look up, but finally it became too awkward not to and I met his eyes. He still didn't like this, that I could tell, but I just couldn't discuss it with him here, in a public forum. I'd have to wait for an opportunity later when I could speak to him privately. He turned his attention away from me, and I thought I saw disappointment in his eyes, and perhaps he was still harboring a sense of betrayal.

Maybe Draco was right. Maybe I was out of my mind thinking I could walk on both sides of this line. I really don't want to mess up my friendship with Harry, but for some reason I just feel compelled to do this, to make this effort. Maybe it went back to what the Sorting Hat had said about unity and interaction between houses. I never thought of myself as a peacemaker before, but someone's got to take the first step, right?

Walking back to the dorm with my three friends, I felt very much alone.


	5. Chapter 5

NybCR - Thanks for the kind words. It's nice to know someone is reading/enjoying this! I'm adding chapters as I get around to it, but if I go too slow, let me know. The story is complete, but there are 22 chapters and it takes awhile to upload them.

Chapter 5

Having tossed and turned pretty much all night long, I finally gave up pretense and got up before the sun. I dressed in my sweats for warmth and crept down to the common room couch, to stare into the fire and think. Boy, I really needed Cassie there to talk to now.

I sat there for nearly a half hour, probably mostly feeling sorry for myself, when I heard something behind me. I turned to find Harry standing on the stairs, looking at me. If I hadn't spotted him, I think he might have quietly turned and wordlessly left, but when he saw I had noticed him he continued on into the room.

"You're up early," he commented, apparently trying to find safe ground. Those astonishing green eyes that so intrigued me now had a closed and shuttered look. He was trying to block me out, keep me from seeing what he was feeling. I suspected that wasn't a good sign. "You, too," I murmured.

His gaze flickered over me and I suddenly realized how awful I must look – I hadn't even combed my hair. 'Okay, Harry, guess you get to see me at my worst – disheveled and sleep-deprived,' I thought ruefully.

Oddly enough, maybe that's what made the difference. Maybe my rather grungy appearance revealed my inner turmoil more than I had intended. At any rate, his gaze softened and he finally sat down next to me.

"So, now that you and Malfoy are..." he tentatively began. He didn't finish the sentence, but I thought I knew what he had intended to say.

"Friends, Harry. JUST friends. And Draco knows that." It was important to me that he believe it, but it was awfully embarrassing to say. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

This time, he did look me in the eye, almost probingly, "Really?"

"Yeah, really," I answered softly, and looked away.

Something touched my hand, where it was resting on the couch, and I glanced down to see his fingers curling around it. I didn't dare look up at him, but I couldn't help smiling with relief. A few minutes later, he slid closer and slipped his arm around my shoulders, leaning his head against mine. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly. "You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you. You were doing a decent thing and I acted like a spoiled brat."

I started to argue, but he pressed a finger to my lips, "Yes, it IS true. Let me admit it, okay?" I gave in and nodded, grateful for the gesture.

And then his lips found mine. Funny, he's only kissed me that one time before, but somehow I had _missed_ it. It felt nice to have it back and I smiled up at him when we broke apart. Then we just sat happily gazing at the fire, holding each other. I had a sneaking suspicion Harry may have just made a liar out of me to Draco. If I wasn't his girlfriend, it sure felt like I was; at least right then, it did. Guess I'd have to wait and see what daylight brought.

I couldn't really tell you how long we sat there, wrapped up in the warmth of the fire and each other's arms. But sunlight was creeping across the floor from the nearest window when we began to hear sounds of stirring in the dormitories. I guess that jolted us out of the moment enough that we simultaneously realized what we must look like, and became all too aware that we likely were sporting some serious 'morning breath'. A little self-consciously, we mutually agreed it was time to hit the showers and clean up a bit, but I could tell he was planning on hurrying as much as I was so we could go to breakfast together, before too many people were up.

I dashed quickly upstairs, grabbed my shower things and scooted out the door again. The shower felt good and after washing my hair, I let the warm water run over my head a bit. Harry's image popped into my head, and with a smile I turned off the water and got on with the business of dressing and drying my hair. I was headed back to the common room within twenty minutes of leaving, possibly a new record for me.

Normally I wear my long hair pulled back into a braid, but I was hurrying so much I hadn't taken time to fix it yet. When I didn't see Harry waiting for me, I pulled my hairbrush from my pocket and began to brush it into three strands for braiding. Suddenly, Harry's arms slipped around my waist from behind and he buried his face in my hair. Laughing, he whispered in my ear, "I love the way you smell!" I wasn't sure what had prompted such playful behavior, but I liked it. I turned in his arms and gave him a quick kiss, "Why thank you." I sniffed at him tentatively, then grinned, "You aren't so bad yourself." We stood there giggling in each other's arms and that was where Hermione found us a moment later.

We heard someone on the stair but hadn't looked up until we heard a soft exclamation, "Oh!" She had frozen in place, staring at us, uncertain whether to continue down the stairs or retreat to the dorm room. Now that she had our attention, we said in unison, "Morning, Hermione!" That started us giggling again, and she took our greeting to mean it was okay to join us.

Once the initial shock wore off, her face lit up with a delighted grin, "When did this happen?" She may have suspected before, but recent events involving Malfoy must have made her believe anything going on between me and Harry had ended. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

Apparently Harry was too happy to even try to disguise his feelings, "Just a few hours ago. But I think it started long before then." He smiled into my eyes and kissed my forehead. His hand stroked my forgotten hair and he suddenly said, "Why don't you leave it down today? I like it this way." Without hesitation, I slipped the hairbrush and elastic back in my pocket and told him, "Done!"

We looked up at Hermione together and Harry said, "We're just going down to breakfast. Want to come?"

She paused then declined the offer, "No, not just yet. I've some things I want to do first. I'll see you later." She glanced at me and I suspect she was really turning us down so that we could be alone, bless her. Just before we went out the portrait hole, I caught another glimpse of her face and she looked so wistful.

I walked quietly along beside Harry, holding his hand, but lost in thought. Eventually he noticed that my thoughts were elsewhere, and nudged me with his elbow, "Something wrong?"

I glanced back toward the Gryffindor tower and his gaze followed mine. He gave me a look of curiosity. As we continued on, I admitted I was thinking of Hermione and Ron. He let out a sigh, "Oh, that. I've tried telling him that she likes him, but he just can't believe anybody like her would be interested in anybody like him. So he refuses to tell her how he feels, and she won't take the first step, and yet they can't stay away from each other either."

"Maybe there are things I can say that you can't," I suggested. He looked nervously at me, "Uh, like what? I'm not sure it's a good idea to meddle."

"Are you CERTAIN he likes her, the same way you like me?" I asked.

"Well...I don't know if he's got it THAT bad, but yeah, he likes her - a LOT!"

"Then I promise I'll be careful, and I'll make sure she feels the same way, and then I'll see if I can't come up with something to break their impasse. It's such a shame to see them wasting all this time pining for each other when they obviously want exactly the same thing!" Harry still looked a little unsure about this, but maybe he figured if I could get Malfoy to act almost human, I might even be capable of getting those two together.

"Just be careful," he said slipping his arm around my shoulders and continuing on to the Great Hall. "I really don't want to hurt either of them."

"Don't worry, Harry," I assured him. "I don't want that either."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Most of November proved to be cold and rainy. Castles in Scotland aren't nearly so appealing in winter, especially if you're trying to stay warm. The huge fireplaces are great, but even between classes we were all bundling up because the corridors were so chilly. Professor Snape's classroom, which was down in the dungeon area, was colder than most since it was below ground, and he seemed to prefer it that way so his fire never seemed to match the need we felt for warmth. All of us got really good at taking notes with our gloves on, but invariably we had to remove them to make our potions. At least most of those were done over a heated cauldron that provided a little additional warmth.

Even though Harry and I had become officially a 'twosome', we still spent most of our time with Ron and Hermione, though I think they occasionally got annoyed with our giggling at each other or playing footsies under the table. Usually Hermione would roll her eyes and simply try to ignore us, but more than once I caught that wistful look again. She'd glance at Ron and then quickly back down at her parchment.

It took several weeks before I found the opportunity to talk to her about Ron. I felt certain she wouldn't admit anything in front of our dormmates, especially Parvati and Lavender who would have it known all over the school within an hour. Finally, we were in a corner of the library, away from the few others in the room and enclosed on two sides by walls. I figured this was as private as we were likely to get, and the guys were at Quidditch practice so they wouldn't turn up unexpectedly.

I took a deep breath and frantically searched for the right words, "Uh, Hermione?" I stopped, fighting back a brief attack of cowardice.

"Yes?" she asked questioningly, looking up from the book she was perusing.

"Um, if I ask you something, will you promise to be honest with me?"

I certainly had her attention anyway, because she set the book down and looked at me perplexed, "Well, of course. Why would I lie to you?"

I couldn't think of any way to sneak up on the subject so I just sort of attacked it head on, "Well, I've kind of noticed that you...you seem to really like Ron. Do you? Like him, as in 'boyfriend', I mean?"

She was startled, yes, but that wouldn't explain the red that quickly covered her face and neck. "Wh...what?"

"You heard me. I've seen you two together and I really think you like him, but it never seems to go anywhere."

I really think she considered lying to me, denying she had any feelings for him, but maybe she was glad to have someone to finally confide in. Having two guys, one of whom you like, as your best friends has its downside. They aren't exactly the best ones for heart-to-heart girl talk. As much as Hermione thinks she's much too sensible to act as silly as, well, say our fellow Sixth Year girls, that doesn't mean she doesn't still feel some of the same things they do.

She dropped her head so I couldn't see her face and nodded, "Yeah, I do like him." She sat there miserably a moment and then added, "But he just doesn't see me like that. He likes sweet, pretty girls. Not know-it-alls like me. I'm just a friend who helps him with his homework."

"I think you're wrong," I told her quietly. "I've seen the way he looks at you sometimes, usually when you don't see. I think he's just scared you don't like him back." She shook her head, unable or unwilling to believe this was possible.

"Hermione, I asked Harry if Ron liked you and he said he does. He just can't see you ever being interested in someone like him - poor, not too smart, not good-looking."

Her feathers ruffled at that, "That isn't true! Ron is very good-looking and he is smart. He just doesn't like to study is all. And he can't help being poor! There are more important things. He's funny and he's kind and he always stands up for me whenever anyone says or does anything mean to me!"

She suddenly realized I was smiling at her in amusement, and flushed red again at her tirade, looking quickly back down at her book.

I reached over and touched her arm, "Hermione, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I agree that Ron is a great guy, and I think you're a great girl, too. The problem is, both of you are so scared that the other one doesn't feel the same way, you aren't admitting your feelings. But you both DO feel the same way, and somehow, some way I'm going to get one of you to take that first scary step so you don't have to keep looking longingly at each other from a distance!"

She looked a little panicked, "Oh, no! Don't do anything like that. It would really embarrass..."

I cut her off, "Do you really want to finish school and go off into the world, not knowing if you'll ever see him again without at least having had a chance?"

I could tell she was torn between fear and hope. "Don't worry," I added. "I'll try to make it as painless as possible for the both of you! But I'm determined to see you happy."

She smiled hesitantly but, I think, a little gratefully. She returned to her studies and I leaned back in my chair, wondering what I had just gotten myself into. I mean, it's not like I'm some world-class expert on love and romance or anything. Heck, Harry is the first real boyfriend _I've_ ever had so I can't even claim years of experience with this stuff. But I knew it would be a shame if they couldn't get past their fear, and soon. I just had to figure out a way to pull it off.

Sooner than I expected, an opportunity presented itself and I dove in before I could chicken out. Ron and I ended up alone in the common room. Harry and Hermione had turned in earlier, but Ron was teaching me Wizard Chess. The room was empty except for us as it was a Friday and most wanted to be up early to enjoy their weekend, which looked like it might actually be rain free.

As Ron studied his pieces, planning his next move, I began, "Hey, Ron?"

"Yeah," he asked, only half listening to me.

"How come Hermione never goes out with anyone?" That broke his concentration and he looked up in alarm.

"What?" When I just looked at him, he added, "She's gone out with guys before. She went to the Yule Ball in our Fourth Year, with Viktor Krum." He rather spat out the guy's name, I noted.

"But that's only one guy in six years. I mean I know she's a brainiac and all and guys don't find that too appealing, but she isn't half bad looking. Do you think maybe she's just shy? I could try and fix her up with someone. I know of a few guys I've overheard making nice comments about her..."

Ron's ears turned red but it looked to be more anger than embarrassment. "Who's been talking about her?"

"Well, I'm not sure of their names...but I could find out."

"Look, they can just leave her alone! If they can't see how beautiful and wonderful she is and they're too stupid to ask her out without your help, then she doesn't need them! She could have any guy she wanted."

"Including you?" I asked quietly.

His head jerked back in astonishment, as if he feared I had read his mind. "Wh...what? Me? Hermione's not interested in me! Why would she be? We're just...just friends."

"Then why would you care if other guys asked her out?" I asked, and after a pause added, "And why did you tell Harry you liked her?"

His mouth worked wordlessly, trying to find something to say to throw me off the path I was coming down. All he could muster was, "Harry shouldn't have told you that."

"But I asked him. He would have had to lie in order to not tell me." I waited for that to sink in then told him, "Ron, my question didn't come out of the blue. I see how you two are together. I see you blush whenever you bump up against her for any reason. I see how protective you are of her. I see how you protect her from anyone like me suggesting she's not the most wonderful thing on the planet. And Ron, I happen to know she feels exactly the same way about you as you do about her."

His head jerked up from where he was trying to stare a hole in the table, wanting desperately to believe me but not daring to allow himself to do so.

And then, and I couldn't have timed it better if I had planned it myself, Hermione came down the stairs. I guess we had been sitting there longer than I realized and she noticed I still wasn't in bed when she got up to use the toilet. "Are you two still playing Chess?" she asked in amazement. "It's almost midnight."

Without missing a beat, I looked up at her and replied, "No, actually we've just been sitting here talking, about you." I glanced at Ron who looked mortified and was giving me a pleading look to please shut up. But Hermione's interest, or was it suspicion, had been piqued. "Talking about me?"

"Yeah. Ron was just admitting that he likes you a lot, as more than a friend." Ron was sliding down in his chair, bright red in the face, apparently hoping the floor would open up and swallow him. So I added, "He likes you about as much as you like him, in fact." Now it was Hermione's turn to go bright red.

Both were now studying the floor with the greatest interest. I stood up, "So, either of you want to call me a liar, or would you finally like to admit it to each other?"

Ron seemed to be frantically trying to find some courage, any courage, to even utter a sound either for or against what I had just said. But apparently Hermione finally decided she might as well know once and for all whether or not there was even a glimmer of a chance that I was right. "Well, actually, Ron...uh, I did tell De that I like you. I have for a long time. But it's okay if you don't feel the same way about me. We can still be friends." Her voice had trailed off to almost a whisper and I wasn't even sure he had heard her last few words.

It didn't matter though. He'd heard the first part, the most important part. "But...but I do like you 'Mione! It's just...just...you can do a lot better than a git like me," he mumbled.

Hermione's eyes had gotten very big, and teary, and a moment later she was sitting in his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Oh, Ron! You may be a git, but you're my all-time favorite git! And, you're wrong, I CAN'T do any better than you!"

When Ron got over his astonishment, his instincts kicked in and he kissed her. I took that as my cue that we were done with Wizard Chess for the evening and I beat a hasty retreat upstairs. Okay, so maybe it wasn't as painless to them both as I had hoped, but at least my mission was accomplished. Besides, now they'd be acting goofy too and wouldn't complain so much about how goofy Harry and I were being.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As challenging as the romantic entanglements of Gryffindor tower were, they were nothing compared to the formidable task of being friends with a Slytherin. It wasn't just Gryffindors who weren't keen on the idea. The entire house of Slytherin acted like I was trying to secretly poison them. I don't think it was so much that Draco was acting all that differently around them; it was just the whole _idea_ of such a thing.

Actually, it's a lot tougher being friends in the wizarding world than in the Muggle world. At home, I could just pick up a telephone and call my Muggle friends. But there are no phones in the wizard world, and it's a bit of a nuisance trying to send messages between houses, in the _same_ building, by owl. That meant if we wanted to talk to each other, we first had to find each other. If either of us was in our house common room, we had to figure out where the other house's entrance was (though we could tell each other that - albeit risking even more animosity from our fellow students) and then just loiter outside until we convinced someone to tell the other person we were waiting outside to see them. Not the most practical way of maintaining a friendship. Luckily, we had most of the same classes, so there was at least that for communicating with each other.

But an even greater challenge was trying to begin a romantic relationship with one person, a friendship with another person and still do everything else I normally did. Made for pretty full days. To his credit, Harry was very good about the whole thing. I'm sure he still wasn't too thrilled by my spending time with Draco, but as long as I tried not to let it interfere too much with us, he said nothing.

Draco and I had discovered that the Astronomy tower was usually pretty deserted, and even though students generally weren't supposed to be up there, as a Prefect it was okay for him to go. That kind of became the place we'd go to talk. Like I mentioned before, there isn't a lot of privacy in this place and no one wants to bare their soul with a lot of eavesdroppers around. It took awhile, but Draco finally opened up to me. I think he was being careful what he told me at first, until he could be certain that it really wasn't going to go any further. But when he did finally begin to tell me about his life, it made me want to weep for him.

Lucius Malfoy is never going to be made 'father of the year', not unless he buys the title like he does so much other stuff. All Draco's life he has been both verbally and physically abusive. His mother is pretty much useless to him. With her, his father always comes first and she lives and breathes by whatever Lucius says. IF Lucius isn't around, she pays some slight attention to her son, but mothering isn't her strong point, and she never made any effort to protect Draco from Lucius' abuse. And in one of the twisted little quirks of nature, Draco still has feelings for them. Well, mostly for his mother, but even at that he realizes she doesn't particularly love or care about him in return, though he so desperately wants and needs that. I think maybe he even used to love his father, but over the years it has turned from love to fear, and finally to hate. He can't seem to stop himself from trying to please his father, and much of his behavior is tied up in that, even while he knows deep down that nothing he can do will ever be enough to satisfy Lucius.

If I didn't have Harry in my life now, I'd be totally depressed after spending time with Draco. I always thought it was a shame I never knew my real parents, but I did have people who loved and cared about me. Then I met Harry and learned about the Dursleys, who are pretty awful in their own right, but then along comes Draco and completely shatters any illusion I may have had that being an orphan is the worst thing in the world. Sometimes having a 'family' IS worse.

There wasn't really anything I could do to make things better for Draco, but I think he was glad to at least have a sympathetic ear, finally. So he did a lot of talking, and I did a lot of listening. And I grew to hate his father almost as much as he did because of what he had done to his son.

Luckily for Draco, most of the Slytherins were still kind of afraid of him, even without Crabbe and Goyle dogging his every footstep. I wasn't so fortunate. I pretty much kept the Rebounding Spell on me during all my waking hours. Never could tell when one of them was going to try and sneak up behind me and curse me. I noticed they never dared try and take me head on. I managed to stay well enough surrounded to avoid any conflicts the first few weeks, but Crabbe and Goyle finally managed to find me in a deserted hallway. What they hadn't realized was that Draco had seen them following me from a good distance away and he knew that wasn't a good thing. Before he could get to us, the buffoons had made their lame attempt at cursing me. Probably because they did it at the same time, the force of it knocked me off my feet, but the Rebounding Spell held and flattened both of them with their own curse. My head had contacted with the stone floor, but luckily for them I wasn't knocked out, and Harry had seen Draco racing down the hall and followed him. It took both me and Harry to keep Draco from killing the two of them.

After that, I decided it was probably wise for Draco to know that Rebounding Spell as well. It wouldn't help much if those two goons tried to physically assault him, but at least they wouldn't be able to hex him when he wasn't looking. I taught it to him that very day.

My other big problem was Pansy Parkinson. She had always fancied herself as Draco's girlfriend. I'm pretty sure she knew Harry and I were a couple, but maybe she thought I was dating both of them. Or maybe he finally realized he didn't really care for her simpering and fawning all over him. He not only spent less time with her, he was less tolerant of her in general. And I got blamed. And maybe, in a way, it was my influence that had brought about the change in him that changed his relationship with her. She made it a point to insult and harass me at every opportunity.

Through all this, I ended up with an unexpected ally. I had never really gotten to know Ginny Weasley very well, but she occasionally hung around the four of us, and with her being on the Quidditch team with Ron and Harry, we had met several times. Granted, Draco was still obnoxious sometimes, but there was a big improvement in his behavior in general, and toward my friends in particular. They weren't 'friendly', but most verbal hostility had ceased and he had heeded my injunction that he avoid them if he couldn't get along with them. They seemed willing to do likewise. And that's where Ginny came in. Apparently, she put more stock in my opinion than I knew, because she decided she should try being friends with Draco also.

It was slow going at first. He didn't really trust her motives, especially with her being a Weasley and all. But Ginny's nothing if not persistent. And living with six older brothers, she knew how to deal with difficult males. She first approached him in the library where he and I were working on a Potions paper together. She came up and joined us; just made herself right at home in our company. Kind of surprised me at first since usually no one I knew ever came around when I was with him, or if they did they only spoke to me briefly, ignoring him, and left as soon as possible. Ginny was actually talking TO him. I couldn't believe it. Draco couldn't either.

But apparently she hung around after I left to meet Harry, and Draco had stayed to work a little longer. Ginny's really good about drawing people out who are reluctant to talk. By the time she returned to Gryffindor tower, they had not only held a reasonable conversation, she had gotten him to agree to help her with a Potions essay she had been assigned.

Ginny initiating a friendship with Draco took some of the pressure off me of trying to spend time with everyone. I didn't feel so bad going off to meet Harry if I knew Ginny was spending time with Draco in my absence. He had become pretty alienated in Slytherin house so I'm sure he got lonely. Even though he had never really considered any of them true friends, at least he had a companionship of sorts with them. Now they pretty much steered clear of him, even in his common room and dormitory. Needless to say, I taught Ginny the Rebounding Spell also. Ron would be furious when he found out I had gotten his sister involved with Draco Malfoy, but he'd murder me on the spot if she got hurt because of it.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Ooooh! Two reviews! At least somebody is reading this! Welcome swimaura!

Chapter 8

As Christmas drew closer, everyone was making plans for the holiday. Harry was determined to take me to meet Remus Lupin, who Sirius Black had named as Harry's successor guardian if anything should happen to him. Harry liked Lupin immensely and had been pleased by Sirius' choice, and now he wanted us to meet. There was only one problem. Harry had only given me sketchy details about a group that had been fighting Voldemort in secret from the moment Harry announced his return. I knew Professor Dumbledore was involved in some major way, and apparently Lupin was as well. The latter seemed to be staying at their secret headquarters, so the problem was how to get me there without me knowing where 'there' was. Harry, of course, trusted me implicitly and wasn't worried I was any kind of a security risk, but he wasn't so sure the others would be pleased if he told me too much without their prior approval.

To that end, he went to Dumbledore to see if there was any solution to the problem. I'm not really sure if it was something Harry said or not, but Dumbledore agreed to let me go and offered to send us by portkey. But that may have been precautionary, since if we went by Floo powder, I'd have to know the address. By portkey, I could be sent anywhere and not know where I was.

Hermione was going home with Ron for awhile before she joined her parents for Christmas, and Harry made them promise to drop by and visit him and Lupin also for a day or two.

Draco wasn't keen on going home but it seemed preferable to staying at Hogwarts with his few friends gone and a lot of animosity from the Slytherins who would be staying over the holiday.

The first day of the holiday break, Harry and I took our bags and went to Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry had been there several times before, but this was the first time I had been back since my initial interview on trying to come to Hogwarts. The Professor's office was still as amazing as I remembered it being. I didn't have a clue what half the bits and bobs he had in there were or did, but it was fascinating just looking at them. Professor Dumbledore wished us a Happy Christmas and then handed us a chipped teacup. A few moments later, a jerk behind our navels told us we were on our way.

We landed in the kitchen. Harry managed to land on his feet, and I stayed upright by quickly grasping his arm and shoulder. Sitting at the table smiling at us was the man I presumed was Remus Lupin. He stood to greet us but when I turned to face him fully, his face went ashen white, as if he was seeing a ghost, and he stopped dead in his tracks, staring at me. "Deandra? Deandra Tobin?" he croaked.

Harry was gazing at him in astonishment, but hastened to correct him, "Uh, no, Moony. This is Deandra Alleyan." He turned to smile at me, apologetic for his friend mistaking me for someone else, and that's when he saw an equally frozen look on my face.

"How do you know Deandra Tobin?" I gasped. "She was my mother."

Lupin partially recovered from the shock and hastily sat back down at the table, his head in his hands. "Oh yes, of course!"

Harry and I quickly sat down as well, anxious for some explanation of his bizarre behavior. This was not at all the reception any of us had envisioned. Slowly, shakily Lupin seemed to recover his senses and began to justify his reaction.

"I knew your mother at school, at Hogwarts. And after... I had heard she died in childbirth, but you look so much like her it came as quite a shock to see you standing in front of me. Harry's only ever called you 'De' when he has written to me so I never had reason to make a connection before now."

I tried to process this new information; I was meeting an old school friend of my mother's? A sudden thought surfaced, "If you knew my mother, did you also know my father?" He flinched and looked quickly at Harry, who was watching him curiously.

Then the realization hit him and he said quietly to Harry, "You don't know who her father is, do you?"

Harry was as caught off guard by this question as I was, but replied, "No. Even she doesn't know his name."

Lupin blinked in surprise, "You don't...?" He really had not been prepared for this turn of events. Apparently he was wondering how much to tell - after all, if I didn't know, then WHY didn't I know? Had someone purposely kept it from me for a reason? I guess to be on the safe side, he suggested, "Why don't you tell me what you do know and I'll see if I can fill in any of the pieces."

Harry reached for my hand and squeezed it encouragingly, so I took a deep breath and told him what little I knew of my mother's history. When I finished, his face wore a sad smile; almost a tragic smile. And I thought I saw a tear slip down his cheek.

"How ironic that you and Harry should end up at school together and fall in love," he murmured. Harry and I both blushed at the 'fall in love' part; we had never admitted to feeling that much, not yet anyway.

"Why is it ironic?" Harry asked, anxious to know more.

"Because Deandra's father was also your godfather, and your friend - Sirius Black." The silence in the room was so complete, you couldn't even hear the sound of any of us breathing. Maybe none of us were.

I still couldn't take this all in, but Harry blurted out, "Sirius was her father!"

Lupin saw that a much more complete explanation was in order. He got up and poured us each some tea, then sat back down to begin.

While Harry's parents, Lupin and Sirius had all known my mother in school, there had never been any serious relationship between her and Sirius until right before graduation. Their group was already becoming involved in a resistance movement against Voldemort, drafted by Dumbledore in their senior year. Knowing their involvement would place them in great danger, Sirius was reluctant to associate with anyone who hadn't already stepped into that arena, fully aware it could cost them their life. But before he had to address that issue, Dumbledore had drafted Deandra as well and the obstacle was removed. James and Lily were married shortly after graduation and Harry born almost two years later to the day.

Deandra and Sirius had gotten closer and closer, but after Harry was born and Sirius was named as his godfather, their relationship seemed to deepen. Perhaps they were a little envious of what James and Lily had, and wanted it for themselves. Somewhat unintentionally, I happened. When they realized Deandra was pregnant and it was apparent the danger Harry was in because of his parents' activities, Deandra and Sirius decided she and the baby would be safer in America. Deandra's sister and brother-in-law were persuaded to accompany her.

Things got more and more dangerous and Sirius was so involved with the resistance activities, he wasn't able to come visit more than once or twice. Partly he was afraid of being followed and Deandra being discovered. And then when it became necessary for the Potters to go into hiding, things took a very fast downward spiral. The Potters were killed, Sirius was sitting in a cell in Azkaban and Harry was living with the Dursleys.

"And they were never able to marry," I murmured regretfully.

Lupin looked up in surprise, "Didn't you know?"

"Know what?" I asked.

"They _were_ married, just after Christmas, before your mother left for America. Only a few of us knew about it since it had to happen quickly and in secret. Harry's parents and I were the only ones in attendance. I thought surely she must have told her sister and that she would have told you."

I shook my head. "Mum and Dad didn't know. And they never knew why they never heard from my father." Then a new thought occurred to me, "But why didn't he ever try to find me? Did he not know where I was or what?" Somehow it had been easier to think he was dead and couldn't find me than to think he hadn't tried.

Lupin sighed heavily, "Of course he _couldn't_ from Azkaban. After he escaped, he spent the rest of his life on the run and in hiding. I asked him about you once, but it was obviously too painful for him to talk about. He never said why he didn't try to contact you, but the truth is, I think he figured you wouldn't want to know him. He knew you were being raised by good people and he probably thought you were better off without him in your life."

Harry added regretfully, "But if he had been able to clear himself, I bet he would have found you." I could tell he was again blaming himself for Sirius' premature death. Lupin seemed to realize it too. I leaned over and hugged Harry tightly. "It's not your fault. Voldemort is to blame, but not you," I whispered. "I know you would never have done anything to intentionally hurt Sirius...or me."

When I felt the tension in Harry ease, I sat back and really looked at Lupin. I knew he was only my mother's age but he seemed much older. His hair was already graying and he had the worn and drawn look of someone who had lived a hard life. Impulsively I reached over and put my hand on top of his, "Thank you. I needed to know the full story about my parents. I'm glad I finally found someone who had the answers." He smiled weakly at me; I think he regretted not being able to give me happier news.

Incredibly we had been sitting there talking so long that it was already early evening. None of us had noticed missing lunch, but now my stomach was grumbling in complaint. I looked around the kitchen and saw it was minimally stocked. Rising, I asked, "So what is there to eat?"

Lupin smiled ruefully, "Not much, I'm afraid. I don't pay a lot of attention to my meals." By then I was already checking out the pantry and saw that his assessment was accurate.

"Is there a Muggle store nearby?" I questioned.

"Well, yes, but I don't have any Muggle money and I'm not sure you should be going out..."

"I've got money. And you can go with me, to show me where it is. Harry's the only one who is really a target, right?"

I think he wanted to argue, but the look Harry gave him let him know he was probably not going to win. He shrugged in defeat, "All right. I'll get my cloak."

We followed him upstairs and waited in the entry hall for his return. I slipped my arms around Harry and laid my head on his chest. This had been a long, emotional day, for both of us. We certainly had never dreamed the course we were setting all those months ago when first we kissed.

Lupin returned and I gave Harry a quick kiss goodbye, "See you shortly."

He nodded and headed upstairs with our bags as Lupin led the way out the front door.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I think I must be one of those people who is a nurturer. At any rate, I seem drawn to the people who most seem to need me, and Lupin, or Moony as he and Harry soon had me calling him, certainly qualified. Harry had told me about him long before we ever met, about his being a werewolf, with all the implications that go with that. I suppose I had some trepidation about meeting a werewolf face to face, but having done so I came to realize a 'werewolf' wasn't who Remus Lupin really was. He was one of the kindest, gentlest men I had ever met, and the saddest. Any real happiness he may have had in life seemed to be tied up in his schooldays and his friendship with Harry's father and mine. Now those friends were dead and one who had been counted a friend by them all was a traitor, to them and to wizard-kind in general. Harry was really all he had left that brought him any joy. And I soon came to love him as much as Harry did.

About a week after our arrival, Ron and Hermione joined us for their visit, and I think the musty old house where we were staying brightened a bit. I certainly saw greater cheer in Moony's eyes than I had any day previously. Living virtually alone in this dreary place, which turned out to be my father's ancestral home, must have been extremely lonely for him. Granted this secret society to which he belonged dropped in now and then, but still, much of his time was spent solely in his own company.

I wasn't in the room at the time, but apparently Professor Dumbledore had sent word that Professor Snape was unable to make more of a potion for Moony; one he needs to take in the week preceding a full moon if he is to avoid transforming into a werewolf. Instead he only becomes a common wolf and retains his senses so he pretty much just sleeps it off until morning, not being a danger to humans. When I entered the kitchen a short time later, I walked into a spirited discussion of my potion-making abilities.

Hermione turned to me instantly and entreated me, "You will try, won't you?" She seemed to have forgotten that I had just entered the conversation and had no idea what she was talking about.

"Try what?" I asked, noting that all eyes were on me.

"To make the Wolfsbane Potion for Moony," she answered. She handed me a piece of parchment on which ingredients and directions were shown and I looked it over carefully.

"This is awfully complex. I'm not sure I can..."

But she cut me off, "I know you can do it. I'll help. Please. If he doesn't drink this, he'll transform. At least try."

Lupin seemed a bit embarrassed by her entreaty, "It's all right, Deandra. I don't expect you to..."

"Do we have the ingredients?" I interrupted.

Hermione nodded, "Professor Dumbledore sent them along with the instructions."

"Well, it can't hurt to try. Only thing is, we won't know for sure if I do it right until we see if he _doesn't_ transform."

"Professor Dumbledore wants us all to leave tonight and come back in the morning," Ron explained. "Doesn't seem to have much confidence you can do it."

"Oh, Ron, I'm sure he has confidence in Deandra. He just wants us to be safe," Hermione admonished him.

I turned to Moony, "But will _you_ be able to tell if it worked or does someone else need to watch to find out?"

"I should be able to tell," he said, though he didn't sound totally convincing.

"Well, I'll give it a try, but I'm staying here to find out if I did it right or not," I declared.

Moony objected immediately, "No! I can't risk your life over this. You'll go with the others."

Harry saw the look on my face and knew Moony was doomed to lose this argument, but he only smiled down at the floor and said nothing. "We'll see," I replied.

Hermione and I chased the men out of the kitchen and set up the cauldron. It took well over an hour to work our way through the formula, carefully step by step. Finally, we finished and Hermione went to find Moony to come take a look and see if it at least looked, smelled and tasted right.

He gave it his stamp of approval, but then suggested we head off to Ron's home, the Burrow, now and come back in the morning. Without comment, I set about preparing dinner as if I hadn't heard and Hermione soon joined me. Harry shrugged helplessly at Moony and took a seat at the table, followed by Ron. Moony protested our staying but Ron explained, "You don't know her very well, yet, mate, but when she makes up her mind about something, you might as well get out of the way and leave her to it."

I think Moony was going to argue, but he thought better of it and sat down with the guys. As we put the meal on the table a short time later, I leaned close to Moony and said, "Don't worry. We'll take precautions, in case something goes wrong." I don't know if that made him feel any better or not, but he didn't object further and, in a way, I think he was grateful for the show of support from us all.

Later that night, I had Moony take me upstairs and we chose a suitable room to lock him in. I made sure there was food and water he could get to, if he wanted it, and a blanket to lay on. Then I gave him a quick hug and sealed him in the room for the night, promising to come back and let him out after daybreak.

The four of us sat up talking til almost midnight. Hermione and I were sharing a room, but after I heard her breathing slow and knew she was asleep, I took my blanket and pillow and returned to the hallway outside Moony's cage. I knew that if he had transformed, I should be able to hear his rampaging through the door, but all was quiet. I settled on the floor for the night, not wanting to leave him alone, even if he didn't know that I was there.

I don't know what time it was when Hermione awoke and found me gone. She must have awakened Harry when she couldn't find me and he tracked me down. I know it must have been close to dawn because when he sat down to join me and put his arm around me, I stirred enough to know he was there and glimpse the sky beginning to lighten through the grimy window in the room across from where we sat. I snuggled into his shoulder and went back to sleep.

Ron and Hermione showed up around 7:00 and woke us both up. I was completely stiff and sore from my nighttime vigil on the floor; Harry, too, to a lesser extent. We stretched and yawned as Hermione asked expectantly, "Well?"

I grinned, "Not a sound. Must have done the trick!" I stood up and unsealed the room so we could enter. Moony was curled under the blanket on the floor, seeming none the worse for the night. I stooped down and gently shook his shoulder, and as he began to wake, asked, "You hungry, or do you want to go sleep longer someplace more comfortable?"

It took a moment for him to wake enough to register the four of us hovering over him. Then he sat up with a smile. "Apparently Hermione's estimation of your potion-making talents is completely warranted," he said approvingly. "And you're certainly a more pleasant potion-maker than Snape..." He let the sentence drift off as we all laughed agreeingly.

We headed downstairs for breakfast, which Hermione insisted on making alone. Moony dressed and joined us soon after.

Later that day, my vigil on the floor caught up with me and I ended up napping for almost two hours. When I awoke and went in search of the others, I came upon Harry and Moony talking in the parlor. They looked up when I entered, and Moony stood, gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze and left us alone. I went over to the couch and curled up next to him, still not fully awake. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, "Moony was just telling me how special you are, and how I better make real sure I don't let you get away from me!" I hugged him back and murmured, "I like him, too."

I think I must have fallen asleep again, because I awoke with a jolt a short time later when Ron and Hermione came in. They were leaving the next day to go join their families for Christmas, so we decided to celebrate together that night and exchange our gifts.

Awhile later, I told Harry I needed at least an hour alone to wrap gifts and do some other things, and he promised not to let anyone come bother me. I headed to the uppermost floor in the house and put my plan into action. When I returned, almost exactly an hour later, I was carrying Christmas gifts for all of them. They had been busy decorating the parlor. Moony had acquired a tree from somewhere and they were adding the last few ornaments to its branches.

After a quick dinner, we adjourned to the parlor to open gifts. As Moony's resources were limited, he was only able to give us small token gifts, but we knew they came from the heart. I don't think he really thought he would get any gifts from us, except maybe from Harry, but Ron and Hermione both had gotten him something. And he seemed especially astonished when I handed him a gift from me.

"How on earth did you happen to buy me a gift when you hadn't even met me, yet?" he murmured, beside me on the couch. I just smiled secretively and answered, "I'm just full of surprises!" He wasn't about to argue that point and turned his attention to unwrapping the box on his lap. His astonishment returned when he found the dark blue sweater nestled among the tissue paper.

"I thought it would go well with your eyes," I commented.

"How do you know what his eyes look like?" asked Ron from the floor, where he sat with Harry and Hermione, his mouth full of chocolate frog.

All heads had turned toward me and I just shrugged, "I always look at people's eyes. It tells me about them."

"So, what do you see in Moony's eyes then?" Ron persisted, staring at Remus' face.

I hadn't expected the question and I hesitated to give a complete answer, so I merely told him, "I see great kindness."

Ron squinted his eyes and stared deeper into Moony's eyes, then shrugged, "Okay, if you say so. They just look like eyes to me."

I think Moony suspected I hadn't answered Ron's question completely because, when the others turned back to their gifts, he leaned over and teased, "And what else do you see in my eyes?"

Without thinking I answered truthfully, "Sorrow. I see incredible sorrow."

He sat back quickly, the smile fading from his face and I heard his sharp intake of breath. I reached over and took his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. I knew I had seen more in his eyes than he ever expected, or intended, and I knew that I was right about what I had seen. He just hadn't believed it showed. He managed a weak smile after a few moments struggle to regain his composure. "I'll have to pay more attention when you say you see something in someone's eyes," he commented.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next day, we were sorry to see Ron and Hermione go but understood their desire to be with their families on Christmas day. Having had our celebration with them the night before, it almost felt like Christmas was already over, even though it hadn't yet arrived.

Later in the day, an owl came; for me, of all people. Who would be writing to me here? I quickly removed the parchment tied to the owl's leg and it left again. Harry was looking at me curiously, and when I opened it, I recognized Draco's handwriting. His message sounded ominous, "Deandra, I need to see you right away. Please come, immediately, if at all possible. I told my family I had invited you to spend Christmas here. Draco"

I handed the letter to Harry, a frown creasing my face. I was sure Draco wouldn't send me a message like this if it weren't something serious. Harry was scowling, too, when he finished reading, and Moony, who was sitting next to him and had read it over his shoulder asked, "Draco - Draco Malfoy?" I nodded.

Harry's jaw tightened, "Are you going?" I could tell he wouldn't be pleased if I said yes, but somehow that had to be my answer.

"I have to, Harry. I know he wouldn't ask me unless it was really, really important."

Moony hesitated, then quietly told us, "When I spoke to Dumbledore yesterday he said Lucius Malfoy escaped from Azkaban."

A look of alarm fastened on Harry's face, "You can't! It could be a trap!" He was staring at me, waiting for me to back down, but I couldn't.

Finally I told them, "There's a way to do it safely." They waited in silence for me to continue. I sat there wordlessly, reluctant to reveal my secret, but knowing the time had finally come to do so. Without comment, I transformed into an owl and perched on the back of the chair in which I had been sitting. Their jaws had dropped, but Moony recovered more quickly than Harry. Perhaps he had suspected something of this kind. I changed back to human form and told them, "I can go as an owl and deliver a message to Draco, from me. Once I see his reaction and the situation, if I think it's safe, I can revert to human form. If not, I can leave and he will only think I am owl post. He doesn't know I'm an Animagus."

Harry still wasn't happy about this, but I reminded him, "It could be important for us to find out what Draco knows. _Especially_ if Lucius Malfoy has escaped from Azkaban. I'm sure Draco won't have told his parents anything appreciable about me, least of all that I'm dating you. Maybe this is only a personal problem of Draco's, but it could be something much more. We need to find out."

Moony stood and moved to the fireplace, where he threw some powder into the fire and summoned Dumbledore. When Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire, he quickly filled him in on what was taking place. Dumbledore looked thoughtful a moment, then turned his gaze on me. "You do realize how very dangerous this could be? It's impossible to know how much Lucius Malfoy does or does not know, even if Draco did not tell him." I nodded and he added, "If you are willing to take the risk, it may indeed provide us with valuable information."

Harry started to protest, but Dumbledore raised a hand to silence him. "Harry, I understand your concerns, but Deandra's _not going_ may prove far more dangerous in the long run. I trust her to use appropriate caution." Unwillingly, Harry nodded acceptingly.

"I should leave at once," I murmured and Dumbledore nodded. As I exited the kitchen to prepare, I heard him tell Moony, "Keep me informed of anything you hear."

Harry followed me to my room, still trying to reconcile within himself that I was going. I threw a few clothes in my bag and then sat down to write a note to Draco saying I wasn't sure I could come, but I would try to get there soon or find some way of talking to him. I folded the parchment and tied it shut, then reached in the desk drawer and removed a small wrapped package.

I stood to face Harry and said, "I was going to wait and give you this on Christmas Day, when we were alone. Go ahead and open it now, since I may not see you then. I want you to have it before I leave." He tugged the wrapping paper off and looked at the braided bracelet that fell into his hand. Softly I explained, "This is what the Muggles call a friendship bracelet, but I think Moony was right. I have fallen in love with you, Harry. If you'll wear this, whenever you look at it, I want you to know, really KNOW, that I love you. No matter where I am or what is going on around us or what circumstances life may force upon us, when you look at this, KNOW that I love you, Harry. With all my heart. _Nothing doubting!_"

Without a word, he slipped it on his right wrist and it shrank slightly to fit comfortably. I had put a Conforming Charm on it so it would adjust as needed to fit, without being too tight or too loose. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "Be careful; PLEASE be careful." And after he had held me a moment longer, he added, "I love you, too."

Much as I would have preferred to stand there all night with Harry's arms tight around me, I knew I had to be going. I pulled back and gave him a quick kiss, unable to stop a tear from sliding down my cheek. I certainly hadn't intended to declare my undying love for him as I was preparing to leave him. The holidays just got considerably bleaker for me, but I was determined we would be reunited as soon as possible.

We walked hand in hand to the upper floor where a window was left open to accommodate owl post. We held each other again, briefly, and then I transformed. Harry held out the note to me and I took it in my beak, clutched my bag of clothes and quickly flew out the window.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It took only half an hour to reach Malfoy Manor, not too far outside of London. I secured my bag in the top of a tall tree and flew to Draco's window. He was sitting slumped in a chair, looking worried, when he heard my peck on the window and hurried over to let me in. He quickly opened the parchment to read my reply, then gave a moan, "De! No! You have to _come_. I don't want to _talk_ to you soon, I need you here, _now_. How can I protect you if you're there when..."

I took off, back out the window and returned to my bag. Flying to the ground, I reverted to my human form and began walking to the main entrance of Malfoy Manor. I was sure from what I had seen that something was really wrong, but I was certain Draco meant me no harm. I approached the front door with some trepidation and rang the bell.

A house-elf soon came to the door and looked up at me questioningly. I told him, "I'm here to see Draco Malfoy." He waved me inside and disappeared upstairs to find his master. A moment later, Draco appeared at the head of the stairs, staring down at me in disbelief. He dashed down to greet me and as he gave me a hug, he whispered urgently, "Be careful what you say. Follow my lead." He slipped his arm around my waist and adopted the swagger I had not seen him use for a long time at school, but I made no comment.

He took my bag, handed it to the house-elf and ordered, "Take this to the guest room next to mine." He steered me up the stairs after the elf, but said nothing til we were inside my room and the door closed behind us. He flung his arms around me again, "Thank Merlin, you came!" I pulled back slightly and looked him in the eye, "Draco, what's going on? What's happened?"

He took a ragged breath and led me over where we both sat on the side of the bed. "Father escaped from Azkaban."

I nodded, "Yes, Dumbledore told us..."

He looked up, "There's more. I don't know all the details but I overheard a conversation - if I'm not mistaken, he and Bellatrix Lestrange have figured out where Potter is. They're going to try and kidnap him and hold him for Voldemort to kill. I knew you were with Harry and I had to get you away. I didn't know how long before they would show up and I didn't think there was time to try and convince the others to believe me, but I thought I might at least be able to get you to safety."

I rose from the bed with a look of panic on my face and moved toward the door, "Harry!" But he grabbed my arm, "Don't you understand? It's too late! If they aren't there already, they will be soon. They're only interested in Harry. They'd just kill anyone who stood in their way! The only way for you to help Potter is by being here!"

I stared at him in confusion, "How will my being here help Harry?"

He pulled me back down beside him, and urgently explained, "I think they're planning to bring him here - to the dungeon below the house. If we can convince Father that we're happy about Potter's capture, maybe we can find a way to help him escape, before they can kill him. I don't think there's any other way!"

I tried to relax as I asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Father doesn't know anything about you. I never mentioned you, even before we became friends. By then he was in Azkaban anyway, but I didn't even tell mother about you. She was surprised...disinterested, but surprised... when I told her I had invited you to join me for Christmas. We need for them to believe you're my girlfriend, and that I've been using you to spy on Potter. He may give away your relationship so we'll tell them you were pretending to like him in order to find out his secrets. If they believe us, and believe we support Voldemort, we may be able to get to the dungeon and get Harry out before...well, before they can do anything."

I looked closely at him, "You do know what that would mean, don't you?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Once we free Harry, if we can, then they'll know I'm a traitor." His head hung and he wouldn't look at me.

I put my arm around him and leaned my head against his, "It'll be okay. I'll work things out somehow. Thanks for doing this - I know it's more for me than for Harry, and I appreciate it."

Just then there was a knock on the door and without waiting for an invitation, the door opened and Lucius Malfoy strode in. Hastily I forced my personal feelings for the man deep inside and tried to muster a swagger to match Draco's. Lazily, I put my hand up and let it run through Draco's hair, suggesting something more intimate had been taking place than our conversation.

Draco twisted his face into his familiar smirk and rose, "Father! You're home! Mother must be pleased." Lucius just sneered at his son and turned his attention to me.

"And who have we here, Draco? You never mentioned your little friend." His voice sent a chill down my spine, but I stood up, slipped my hand into Draco's and stood close to him.

"This is my new girlfriend, Deandra Alleyan. She transferred to Hogwarts from America. She's far more entertaining, and useful, than Parkinson ever was."

Lucius looked me over appraisingly, "Useful? How so, Draco?" I was feeling like a prize steer, up for auction at a Muggle fair.

"They stuck her in Gryffindor, but it's come in handy. She's able to spy on Scarhead and his stupid little friends."

Lucius raised an eyebrow and looked more closely at me, "Indeed! You're not a fan of Harry Potter, then?"

"Why should I be?" I laughed haughtily. "All he's ever really done is become famous for living when he should have rightfully died. He and his friends think themselves better than everyone else. But his day will come!"

Lucius eyed me a few moments, then let a small smile crease his face, "Very good, Draco. I'm impressed. I didn't know you had it in you to attract someone like her." I struggled not to let my anger, at his slight of Draco, show on my face. To prevent it, I turned and nuzzled Draco's neck.

But Lucius interrupted this apparently tender moment his son was having by inviting, "Perhaps, Draco, you and Miss Alleyan would like to come down to the dungeon and witness the final come-uppance of one Harry Potter."

"Sounds like fun," Draco sneered, gripping my hand more tightly. His father turned and swept from the room ahead of us. Before Draco could follow, I brought out my wand and placed the Rebounding Charm on each of us. Then we hurried to catch up to Lucius before he could notice our slow progress. From what I had heard, Lucius Malfoy wouldn't hesitate to use the Unforgiveable Curses on people, and I wasn't sure the Rebounding Curse could protect against something that strong, but perhaps it would help a little. My stomach was beginning to feel queasy as I thought about seeing Harry and the charade I'd have to play, convincingly, to maybe save his life.

Lucius led the way down several staircases, descending deeper into his manor than I had realized it went. Only torches along the wall lit our way, and it reminded me a great deal of the corridors leading to Snape's classroom in Hogwarts. We finally came to a large heavy door that Lucius opened with a wave of his wand.

No matter how much I had steeled myself for this, I was not completely prepared to find Harry chained to a wall, unconscious. I pretended to be looking around the room in order to keep my face averted from Lucius, until I felt I had hidden any trace of my emotional response to the situation, and my anger. If I was to save Harry I HAD to make this look real, or I'd end up just as dead.

"So, how do like my...prize?" asked the senior Malfoy.

Forcing a smirk, I responded, "Amazing how good he looks in chains, and helpless!" Lucius smiled approvingly. "What will you do with him," I asked.

"For now, hold him for the Dark Lord. He'll want the pleasure of killing Potter himself. But that isn't to say, we can't _amuse_ ourselves until he arrives. Bellatrix will return shortly, and then our holiday entertainment can begin!"

"Have you eaten?" Draco asked, addressing me. I shook my head, thinking it an odd question. "Father, is it all right if we go grab a quick dinner before the fun starts?" Lucius looked at us calculatingly, but nodded. "Don't be long. You wouldn't want to miss anything."

Draco led me back upstairs, and I knew he sensed the rage in me. Maybe he thought it best to get me out of there for the time being, before I acted foolishly. We went to his room, and upon noticing his owl perched in a cage, I remembered that I did not know what had become of Moony. "I need to send an owl," I told him.

He looked slightly alarmed, "If Father comes in and catches you..."

I nodded my understanding, "I'll make it cryptic, but I have to send someone to check on my friend who would have been with Harry when they kidnapped him." Quickly he supplied me with quill and parchment and I jotted a note to Hermione:

_H - _

_I want you to stop sending me owls! I really don't have time to waste on your pathetic love life. I'm not at all sure Moony is safe. You should give this more thought. In the meantime, I'm on holiday with Draco, so don't ask me any more of your fool questions._

_- De_

I hoped it was enough for Hermione to figure out what I meant. And Draco's assessment proved accurate, for Lucius turned up a moment later, as I was just finishing it and walked in without knocking. I tried to act nonchalant and commented to Draco, "Hopefully this will shut her up. If any more owls come for me, just shoot the damn thing!"

Lucius still looked slightly suspicious as he asked what we were doing, and I explained the annoying little Second Year that I ordered about seemed to think it was my job to solve her petty problems. I was just writing a note to shut her up. "May I see it?" he inquired smoothly, apparently still not entirely trusting me. Without hesitation I handed it over, commenting, "You won't find it very interesting."

He read through it and handed it back. "What's the girl's name?" I think he was trying to catch me off guard, unprepared, but I had already thought of an imaginary name to fit, "Harriett Goss. Homely little thing. Don't know why she thinks anyone would be interested in her in the first place," I sneered, folding the parchment.

Apparently it satisfied him for he turned to leave. "Come downstairs when you've sent it. Bellatrix is here. We're ready to begin."

I swallowed the panic in my throat, wrote HG on the parchment and sent the owl on its way. Shaking slightly, I arose and took Draco's hand as we followed his father from the room. I was frantically trying to steel myself for what was to come. I knew I was about to have to witness Harry being tortured, and pretend to enjoy it, and I wasn't at all sure I could fake that convincingly. But I knew if I acted too soon, it could be disastrous for all of us.

Once again we found ourselves back in the dungeon, but this time there was also a woman there, with long black hair and cold dark eyes. A chill ran through me as I remembered Harry telling me she was the one who had killed my father. "And who's this," she asked, in a baby talk voice that wasn't even remotely appealing. "Has _wittle_ Draco got himself a girlfriend?"

Draco smirked and nodded, as he draped an arm around my shoulders, squeezing them tightly. I wasn't sure if he meant it as reassurance or an attempt to hold me back if I dove for her throat. Maybe both. After all, he knows how much I dislike bullies, and this woman was clearly that.

With a sneer, she turned to Harry, and laughed, "Let the games begin! Ennervate!" Harry awoke with a start, confused at where he was and what he was seeing; probably especially at seeing me arm-in-arm with Draco. Before he could fully register the situation, Lucius stepped into his line of sight.

"We meet again, Potter. Sooner than you imagined, I expect."

Harry glared at him, "Let her go, Malfoy. She's done nothing to you. Your quarrel is with me."

Lucius laughed in amusement, and turned to me, "How charming! He wants to protect you, my dear."

I forced a mirthless grin on my face and responded, "Well, yes, he is fond of playing the hero! I knew it would be his downfall!"

Harry stared at me in astonishment, "De?" I turned away and nuzzled Draco's neck, commenting, "And he really believed I could care for him when I had you!" My heart felt like it was enclosed in a block of ice but I forced myself to continue the masquerade.

Lucius turned back to Harry with unconcealed glee, "Does it hurt, Potter, to find out your lady love was only using you? Let me add to your pain!" With that he drew his wand, pointed it at Harry and venomously shouted, "Crucio!" Immediately Harry's entire body contorted with the agony that was wracking his mind and body. Against his will he screamed, prompting laughter from Bellatrix. With inhuman effort I forced an amused grin on my face, but Draco's hand was being crushed in my death grip on it. After several moments, they finally released him and he hung there by his wrists, his legs unable to support him.

Bellatrix was watching me closely and then suggested, "I wonder, my dear, if you'd care to help me. There's a delightful little potion called Veritaserum. I think we'll use it on Potter and find out all his nasty little secrets, before we utterly destroy him!" She signalled me to follow her, and I didn't dare refuse. Draco released my hand reluctantly.

Maybe it was intuition; maybe something else. I don't know, but I had the feeling she wasn't quite buying into my hating Harry. As I followed her from the room, I slipped my wand up the sleeve of my sweater, where I could drop it into my hand in an instant. Good thing, too, for we had barely stepped into the other room and closed the door before she wheeled on me, wand drawn. "You may fool my brother-in-law, but you don't fool me, missy! You're no more a supporter of the Dark Lord than Potter is!" she spat at me. And then she attempted to curse me, but my wand flicked out just in time. "Avada Kedavra!" she bellowed as I simultaneously yelled, "Protego!"

It was a good thing I hadn't attempted to let the Rebounding Spell suffice, because even with the second protecting spell, I was knocked to the floor. Still, it had the desired effect. The two spells together not only stopped but rebounded her curse onto her. With a look of utter astonishment on her face, she hit the ground, dead where she lay. With grim satisfaction, I pulled her wand from her hand and slipped it into my pocket, whispering, "Avada Kedavra, yourself, you old hag! That's for Sirius Black, and Harry Potter!"

I turned on my heel and raced back to the other room. Lucius looked up in surprise at my sudden return and then it seemed to click with him, that things weren't as they had seemed. "Where's Bellatrix?" he demanded.

"Dead." I answered, without blinking.

He wheeled on Draco with a fury that was terrible to see, "You despicable, worthless piece of flesh! I'm ashamed to have ever had to call you MY son - but I can soon remedy that!" He raised his wand and pointed it at Draco, but I reacted instantly as I had with Bellatrix. "Avada Kedavra!" he screamed at Draco, while I shouted the protection spell as well, "Protego!" And the results were the same. Draco was knocked to the ground, but not before Lucius Malfoy was slammed against the wall, impaled on his own killing curse. His dead staring eyes registered his disbelief.

Draco climbed to his feet and stared down at his fallen father. "Is he dead?" To be certain, I checked for a pulse, but found none. "Yes."

"Good!" I turned to him and gave him a shaky hug, then pulled back. "Grab your things and get my bag. Meet us out front. We have to get out of here, just in case Voldemort, or anyone else, is on their way. I'll bring Harry," I directed him.

He nodded and took off up the stairs as I turned to where Harry was barely beginning to regain his strength, and was staring fixedly at me. I hoped he'd be able to stand when I released the chains that were binding him. And using the wall as support, he did remain on his feet. Uncertainly I stood before him, not knowing if he yet understood what had been happening or whether he believed the charade Draco and I had been carrying out before him. Finally, he smiled weakly at me and raised his right wrist, encircled by the friendship bracelet I had given him. "_Nothing doubting_," he whispered. With a flood of relief I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

He mustered the strength to return the embrace weakly before I pulled back, "Come on. We have to get out of here, now. Voldemort may be coming." I put his arm around my shoulders to lend him support and we made our way up out of the dungeon. As we headed for the front door, I heard running steps and Draco skidded up behind us a moment later.

We stepped out into the wintry night and moved quickly away from the house. Suddenly Harry stopped, "Moony...!" I tugged at him, "I'll take care of it. Don't worry. You need to get away from here, fast. Go to..."

"The Weasleys," he interrupted. "Mr. Weasley will know what to do. And it's closest."

I nodded, "I'll check on Moony and join you there - or wherever you end up."

He leaned close and whispered, "Does Draco know - about you?" I shook my head and replied, "The fewer the better, for now."

Harry nodded and I shoved Bellatrix's wand into his hand. "You may need this." He stuck out his wand hand and a moment later, a loud bang signalled the arrival of the Knight Bus.

Draco had jumped back, startled. I called him over and transferred Harry's arm to his shoulder for support. "Take our things," I said, slipping into my cloak. "I'll see you both as soon as I can." Draco looked like he might protest, but thought better of it and followed as Harry moved toward the bus. Once the bus was out of sight, giving another loud bang on departure, I moved quickly to the wooded area across the road. When I was safely in the trees, I transformed and flew to Grimmauld Place, partly dreading what I might find.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I entered the house and flew carefully from room to room, making sure I was alone in the building. Though not visible from the outside, the entry hall was a wreck and there was a large, fresh bloodstain on the carpet. Apparently Lucius and Bellatrix had been able to blast their way in there. I continued down to the kitchen on the lowest level, and having found no sign that anyone else was there, transformed back to my human state.

I had not found Moony anywhere on my fly-through so I hoped that meant Hermione had understood my message and gotten help for him; and I especially hoped it meant he was still alive. The cauldron of Wolfsbane Potion I had left in the kitchen for him was also gone, and I hoped that was a good sign that he was being taken care of.

I began a thorough walk-through of the place, collecting anything that any of us had left laying around, including Harry and Moony's wands. I didn't think anyone would be allowed to return here soon, if ever, so this might be our only chance to retrieve our belongings. In the attic I found some photo albums of people I didn't recognize, but in case they might have meaning for Moony or Harry, I brought them along as well and then toted my assembled collection down to the fireplace in the kitchen. I conjured a net to engulf all the various items I had accumulated, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, stepped in the fireplace and declared, "The Burrow!" With a flash of light I was gone, spinning dizzily to my destination. A few moments later, I was deposited coughing into the Weasley's parlor and Harry hurried forward to help me up from my seat on the floor.

He looked at me soberly and told me, "Mr. Weasley says Dumbledore took Moony to St. Mungo's. He was badly hurt, but he's alive. Luckily Hermione was able to figure out your cryptic message." I nodded with relief and shoved my bundle at him.

"I collected anything I thought anyone would want. I'll go to St. Mungo's and see how he's doing," I answered.

He made to stop me, "You should rest. Let one of us..."

But I shook my head, "No. I want to make sure he's all right. I can rest later." I kissed him lightly, "I'll be back when I know something. I may have to wait til morning. He'll be transformed right now so I won't be able to talk to him til then, if he's up to it."

He relented with a grateful smile. He knew he couldn't go himself, so I was certainly his second choice.

I smiled at Draco and moved over to give him another hug. He was standing separately from everyone, and I had little doubt this was an uneasy alliance on all sides. I said quietly in his ear, "Thank you. If no one else appreciates what you've done, at least know that I do." He gave a small smile and hugged me back, gratefully.

After a moment I stepped back to the fireplace and was soon on my way to St. Mungo's. A glance at my watch told me it was after midnight when I touched down in the St. Mungo's fireplace. The reception area was deserted, not surprising at that hour. I moved toward the reception desk and was looking to see if the notebook on the desk showed what room Moony was in when a Healer came charging at me, "What do you think you're doing?"

I stepped back and smiled at her, "Oh, there is someone here. I was wondering about a friend of mine who was brought in earlier this evening, Remus Lupin." She glared at me, "Visiting hours are long over with, young lady. You have no business being here!"

I tried to stay pleasant as I asked, "Well, then if you could just tell me if he's all right and when I might come back to visit later, I'll call it a night."

She looked at me a little warily but replied, "He's out of danger. He's in room 412. Visiting hours begin at 7:00 tomorrow, er...today, I guess it is."

I nodded and turned as if to go, but after she bustled out of sight, I transformed to an owl and headed off for room 412. No one looked twice at owl post and I was unencumbered. Luckily, the door to his room was open when I arrived and I came to rest on the headboard of the bed, where he was curled in wolf form and wrapped in bandages. I didn't know if he could hear me, but I hooted softly, just in case. Then I settled in to sleep and wait.

I got a few curious looks from Healers and hospital personnel during the night, but no one attempted to chase me away, and I was able to rest a little, though I was looking forward to stretching out in a bed and staying there for a very long time when this was all over.

With daylight came Moony's transformation back to human form and, when no one could see, mine as well. I settled in a chair by his bed and took his hand in mine. There was no indication he was aware of my presence but I talked to him anyway, reassuring him that everyone was safe and we were anxious for his speedy recovery. About a half hour later, a Healer came in, apparently on rounds, and was outraged to find me sitting there, well before 7:00 visiting hours were to begin.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

I didn't look at her, "Visiting...Remus."

"Visiting hours aren't until 7:00! And only immediate family is allowed in here!" she snapped at me. "You must leave at once!"

I turned to look her in the eye and said with steely resolve, "I'm _not_ going anywhere, not until I'm sure he's okay. And I _am_ family...he's my...father." My jaw clenched, hoping she bought the lie, but even if she didn't she was going to have to drag me kicking and screaming from the room.

She turned on her heel and stormed out, "We'll see about this!" Once she left the room, I sealed the door shut and returned my attention to Moony. Suddenly I saw a slight smile trying to tug at his mouth and felt the merest of squeezes on my hand. Quickly I stood and leaned closer, "Hey, you! Don't think I didn't feel that! Why don't you come out and talk to me?" I brushed his hair back from his forehead and kissed his cheek. The smile strengthened a bit and he struggled to open his eyes.

Finally, I saw a sliver of blue peeking out and he stared at me, trying to focus. I smiled warmly at him, "Welcome back!"

Hoarsely, he whispered, "Water?"

I looked around and reached for the pitcher on his bedstand, pouring him a cup. I slipped my arm under his head and shoulders and helped him raise up sufficiently to sip it down. After a few swallows he seemed to have had enough and leaned back, and I lowered him back to the pillow and set the cup down.

He peered anxiously at me, "Harry?"

"He's fine, he's safe," I assured him, taking his hand again. He nodded in understanding, closing his eyes with weariness.

There was suddenly a banging on the door and when I looked there was the Healer with two burly companions, outraged that they could not get into the room. I turned back to him with a grin, and commented, "Your bodyguards have arrived and I'm likely to be tossed out any minute, but I wanted to make sure you were all right before I left. There's a lot to tell you, but I'll fill you in later. For now, just know that everyone is safe. I doubt they'll let Harry come visit you, but I'll try to get back if I can - in one form or another!"

He opened his eyes and nodded, in amusement and understanding, then whispered, "I always enjoy having my..._daughter_...visit me!" I returned his conspiratorial grin and kissed him on the cheek again. "See ya soon, _dad_! Rest easy."

His eyes slipped closed and reluctantly I removed the spell from the door and allowed the brute squad to charge in and demand my departure. I sweetly acquiesced and headed down the hall to the fireplace in the lobby and returned to the Burrow.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Glad you are enjoying this. Let me know how you think I did on characterizations here. I don't THINK I went too far off the mark on anyone in this story, but you may not agree. Also, I know there are a few things that might be "unlikely" or "wrong", but I tried to stay pretty true to canon and known facts. Hopefully most of my "made up" stuff is where JKR didn't give us much detail.

Chapter 13

I stepped from the fireplace at the Weasleys and brushed the soot from my cloak. Harry hurried in from the other room and soon had me wrapped in a hug. He didn't look good. The dark circles under his eyes and the drawn look to his face told me he hadn't slept much, if any, during the night.

Mrs. Weasley had followed him and now hurried forward. "Come on, you two. I'll fix you something to eat and then it's off to bed with the both of you," she said. To me she added, "I tried to get him to sleep last night, but he insisted on sitting up all night by the fire in case you returned." I snuck another look at Harry, particularly his eyes, and was convinced that the hollow look I saw there had more to do with his ordeal at the Malfoy's than anything else, though I was sure he hadn't mentioned it to anyone.

We ate in silence and when it was clear we were done, Molly shooed us upstairs. I'm pretty sure it isn't what she intended, but Harry led me to the room he was sharing with Ron and we settled down on his bed together, still in our clothes. He wrapped his arms around me, and then gave a ragged sigh and finally seemed to relax. A moment later I could tell from his breathing he had dropped off to sleep. I wasn't far behind.

By the time I awoke, the wintry sun was streaming through the window. I rolled over to look at Harry, who was still deeply asleep beside me. I reached over and gently stroked his face, saddened to still see stress reflected there despite his slumber. He was far too young to look so old. I snuggled closer to him and wept. I knew things were going to get worse before they got better, and I could only hope he was up to it.

I was content to lay there with him all day, but decided it would be best to get up and see what was going on. I slipped gently out of his arms and slid out of bed. I wasn't sure where my bag had ended up so, for the time being, it looked like I was stuck in my dirty, smelly, slept-in clothes.

I left the room, closing the door behind me and made my way downstairs. I found Ron and Hermione snuggled together on the couch in the parlor, and sat down to join them. We all just looked at each other for a few moments, not entirely knowing what to say. Finally, Hermione ventured, "Is Harry still asleep?"

I nodded and rubbed my face, "He still looks exhausted." She grimaced, but made no comment.

"Do we know what's going on?" I asked.

Ron looked at Hermione and then said, "Dad's gone to the office, at the Ministry of Magic, to see what he can find out there. I know Dumbledore came to see him earlier, but I don't know what was said. So far, I think they want us to stay put."

I looked around, "Where's Draco?"

Hermione glanced awkwardly at Ron before telling me, "Ginny took him for a walk. I'm not sure either of them really wanted to go, but I think she thought it might be a good idea to get him out of the house for a while. Things are a bit tense with him here."

I nodded again and glanced at my watch. It was already nearly 1:00. "Maybe I'll go find them. See how Draco's doing... Did he and Harry tell you what happened last night? About his father?"

They nodded in unison and then Ron blurted out, "Serves him right!"

I stood up and said quietly, "I hope you're referring to Lucius." His face reddened a bit, but he only shrugged noncommitally.

Before I could leave the room, Hermione stood and asked, "Deandra? How are you doing it? I mean, it just doesn't make sense all the things you're supposed to have done and all the different places you were supposed to have been last night. How could you get around that much that fast?"

I stopped in the doorway and looked back at her, "Not now, Hermione. But I promise, you'll know soon enough." It didn't seem to entirely satisfy her, but she accepted it.

I found my cloak on a rack near the door and slipped it on, stepping out into the cold air. That more than anything helped to wake me more fully. A light snow had fallen during the night, adding to what was already on the ground. It was easy to follow the two sets of footprints out across the yard, and I did so, assuming they belonged to Ginny and Draco. The exercise felt good and I hoped I wouldn't find them too soon.

I passed the garden and headed into a wooded area, continuing on quite a way before it opened out onto a large pond. I could see them on the far side of the pond and they spotted me almost immediately, signalling for me to join them and heading in my direction.

Draco promptly gave me a hug as soon as we were together, while Ginny stood awkwardly nearby. I pulled back and looked at him closely, "How are you holding up?" He shrugged, and Ginny took that as her cue to make an exit.

"You two will want to talk. I'll see you back at the house," she began, but Draco reached out and caught her by the arm.

"It's okay. You can stay," he told her, and I cocked an eyebrow at him curiously. He hesitated, then told me, "Ginny's been really good about keeping her family at bay, especially Ron. None of them are too keen on my being here."

I smiled in her direction and commented, "Somehow that doesn't surprise me very much. Ginny has a way of getting people to cooperate. Guess it comes from all those years she's had to deal with six brothers."

Ginny blushed pink, but said nothing and I turned my attention back to Draco. "Seriously, how are you doing? Has it really hit you yet?"

His jaw tightened, "Yeah, around 3:00 this morning. Can't really imagine my life will be any worse than it was before though."

I sighed and told him quietly, "Everybody always makes a big deal about how wonderful a family is, Draco, but the truth is what you had really wasn't a family. It was just three people living in the same house. It isn't like that for everyone - it doesn't have to be like that. If life cheated you out of a real family, then just make one of your own choosing. I never knew my parents but I have had a happy family with my aunt and uncle. Harry lived with a miserable aunt and uncle who let him know every single day of his life that they didn't like him and didn't really want him around. Now his family consists of friends from Hogwarts and an old school chum of his parents, not to mention the Weasleys practically adopting him. Find your own family, Draco - a true family - and don't give your parents another thought. They won't appreciate the effort you put into thinking about them and they haven't earned that much attention from you. You've made a good start already - you have me and you have Ginny."

Tears were slipping down Ginny's face, and she took his hand in hers. When he looked at her in surprise, she nodded fervently, "She's right." I leaned over and gave him another hug, and Ginny joined in as well. The three of us just stood there in the snow and sun, and held onto each other for quite awhile. When finally we stepped apart, Draco had to quickly wipe at his face also, though he tried not to let us see.

"Don't know about you two," I said, "But I'm starved! What say we go scare up some food?" They both agreed and we headed back to the house with me and Ginny on either side of Draco.

Once in the kitchen, Ginny set about finding something for us to eat. Harry stumbled in just as we sat down to eat our sandwiches and settled himself in the chair beside me. I cut my sandwich in two and gave him half, and he gave me a weak grin, pushing his glasses up on his nose. We mostly ate in silence and were almost done when Mr. Weasley Apparated into the room.

He sat down to join us and filled us in, "Well, still no word at the Ministry that I can find about Lucius and Bellatrix being dead. If anyone there knows, they aren't talking. Dumbledore will be checking in here shortly and I expect he'll want you lot back at Hogwarts, so you ought to have your things ready to go." We all nodded our understanding, and he turned to look more closely at me, "And I expect he'll be wondering how it is you were able to defeat two full-grown wizards on your own."

The others glanced at me, but I just shrugged, "Technically, I didn't kill them. I just outsmarted them. They basically committed suicide."

Draco gave a mirthless laugh and commented, "I'll bet Bellatrix's face looked even more shocked than my dear father's did!"

Mr. Weasley was still eyeing me curiously, but left it at that. He turned to Ginny, "Where's your mother?"

"Went to the market. She should be back soon." He nodded and rose from the table. Ginny stood as well and began clearing our plates and I got up to help her.

Behind me, still at the table, I heard Harry say to Draco, "I guess I never really said it last night in all the confusion, but...thanks." Draco was startled by the comment but merely nodded and answered, "Sure."

Ginny and I had the dishes done and put away in short order. I turned to Harry, "Where did my bag end up? I think I'd like to grab a quick shower and change out of these clothes. They've gotten a bit ripe."

He grinned, and held out his hand, "Come on, I'll show you." He led me upstairs and gave me my bag and showed me where the bathroom was, then left me to clean up while he packed his belongings and sorted through the things I had brought from Grimmauld Place.

Feeling much refreshed, I joined him a short time later, still toweling my hair dry. I discovered him looking through the photo albums I had found. "I didn't know if those were of interest or not, so I brought them along just in case," I explained. He looked up, his eyes wet with tears.

I hurried over and sat down next to him, "What is it?"

He held up a picture of a couple and another man. I could guess that the couple was Harry's parents; Harry looks an awful lot like his dad. But he has his mother's eyes. The other man I didn't recognize at first but then I noted his pale grey eyes and realized in an instant who it must be. "Is that...Sirius?" I squeaked out. He nodded and I stared hard at the first picture I had seen of my father. While Harry had talked to me about his parents and Sirius, he had never shown me any pictures. For all I knew, he didn't have any. Apparently he and Moony hadn't known these photo albums were in the house. We sat there together flipping through the pages as I got a tiny glimpse of the man who helped give me life. I couldn't entirely suppress the ache of knowing I would never meet him face to face, but if I couldn't I was glad that Harry had, and that they had liked each other. Somehow that was important to me.

Ron entered the room just then, but paused hesitantly when he saw the two of us sitting there, crying. "Um...Dumbledore is here. I reckon you ought to come down." He turned and slipped quietly out, leaving us to regain our composure.

As we stood and moved toward the door, I abruptly turned to Harry and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm glad he would have approved of my choice," I whispered. He grinned and gave me a kiss, then replied, "And I can never thank him enough for giving me you!" Eventually we managed to return our attention to the matters at hand and headed down the stairs.

Dumbledore was seated in the parlor when we put in appearance, and the rest of the Weasleys, Hermione and Draco were scattered about the room. As all the chairs were occupied, Harry and I sat on the floor near the fire. Without preamble, Dumbledore turned to us, "I need to clarify a few matters with the two of you before we do anything else. One, are you certain that Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange are dead?"

Harry deferred to me, and I shrugged, "As far as I could tell. They both _looked_ dead. I checked for a pulse on Lucius, but felt none. I didn't check Bellatrix."

He nodded, "So far we have not been able to confirm this from any other source. While I do not doubt your word, we do not want to be too hasty in assuming they did not survive. Secondly, we are all curious to know how you were able to accomplish their defeat."

"As I told Mr. Weasley, really all I did was outsmart them. Neither Draco or I personally defeated them." He arched an eyebrow inquisitively at me and I continued, "Some of you already know that I use a Rebounding Spell as personal protection. This is an older spell that isn't often used by anyone today. My best friend and I developed a fascination with older spells and became quite proficient at a number of them. They provide the element of surprise, if nothing else. I had put the Rebounding Spell on both Draco and myself before we went to the dungeon with Lucius. When it became clear that Bellatrix did not believe I was a supporter of Voldemort and tried to kill me, I did not want to risk that the Rebounding Spell would be sufficient to protect me, so I invoked the Protection Charm of Protego also. Using the two together, her Killing Curse did rebound onto her, though the force of it knocked me off my feet. I would assume, based on that, that I was correct and that the Rebounding Spell wouldn't have been enough by itself. When I returned to the other room and Lucius realized Draco had been helping me to help Harry, he tried to use the Killing Curse on him. Since I had already seen the need for further protection, I used the Protection Charm for Draco as well, and the results were the same. He was knocked off his feet, but the spell rebounded onto Lucius."

Dumbledore nodded pensively as he contemplated this information. At that point, Hermione interjected, "But how have you been getting around? We left you at Grimmauld Place with Harry. The next thing I know you're at the Malfoy's house and then back at Grimmauld Place."

Dumbledore added, "And further, you were able to find Grimmauld Place even though_ I_ had never told you its location. That should not have been possible."

I smiled slightly at him and commented, "I rather thought _you_ would have figured it out by now, Professor. Only three of you have enough information to hazard a reasonable guess. Hermione is rightfully perplexed." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and I suspect he _did_ know how I had accomplished it, but he gestured for me to explain. "I'm an Animagus," I told them, turning to Hermione, "which explains how I have been getting around so quickly from place to place." I turned back to Dumbledore and added, "And it also explains how I found Grimmauld Place without your telling me its location - you didn't think to shield it from owl post. Since I transform into an owl, I was able to come and go without consciously knowing its physical location. Had I tried to approach it from the street as a human, I would not have been able to find it, but as an owl that was not a problem."

Dumbledore nodded, seemingly with a bit of amusement, "Truly an oversight on our part. We did not anticipate that being a weak point, but in the future we will keep it in mind!"

Hermione was staring at me with a bit of astonishment, "You're an Animagus? At fifteen? But you aren't registered - I checked the official register when we studied Animagi in our Third Year. There have only been seven this century and I'm sure I would remember your name if it had been there."

I grinned ruefully, "True. But apparently my father and I had more in common than I knew."

"Your father," asked Ron. "Who's your father and what's he got to do with this?" He apparently had just realized how little they knew of my personal history.

With a small sigh, I told them, "This holiday has been full of surprises, not the least of which, for me, was learning the identity of my father. It's a long story which I won't go into now, but suffice it to say my father was an unregistered Animagus also - Sirius Black."

Ron's jaw dropped and Hermione looked equally stunned. "Sirius was your father!" She glanced quickly at Harry to see if he had known this, and he nodded at her. "Moony told us," he explained. "Apparently De looks an awful lot like her mother. When Moony first met her he thought he was seeing her mother. He was able to fill in some missing pieces for her. That's how we found out about Sirius."

Dumbledore interrupted, "I believe it would be best if you postpone further discussion of this until we return to Hogwarts. I think it advisable that you all return to the school as soon as possible. There may yet be repercussions from recent events."

Mrs. Weasley stepped forward and urged us all along, "Go collect your things and bring them to the parlor." She looked at Dumbledore, "How do you want them to travel?"

He stood and answered, "I'll prepare a portkey. They should all be able to go together."

Mr. Weasley spoke up, "If you don't need me, I'd best head back to the office. I'll keep my ears open for any news." Mrs. Weasley kissed him goodbye and he Disapparated from the room.

We trickled back into the room with our belongings, and while we waited for everyone to be assembled, I quietly asked Dumbledore, "Professor, when we're back at Hogwarts, may I speak with you privately?"

He nodded, and I got the distinct impression he knew what I wanted to discuss as he glanced at Draco. "I'll have Professor McGonagall send for you when I have a moment."

At last we were all gathered and he conjured a bicycle tire to use as a portkey. We thanked Mrs. Weasley and said goodbye just as the feeling of a hook behind our navels told us we were on our way.

We landed in the entrance hall of the castle, and a few moments later the bicycle tire vanished. We all looked at one another, and then I moved to give Draco another hug before we separated to go to our dorms. It was almost dinnertime, so we dropped our belongings in our room and returned to the Great Hall.

There were only a handful of students who had stayed over the holidays. Draco had seated himself at the Slytherin table, though a bit apart from the other members of his house. I gazed at him for a moment, then signalled the others to follow me, "Come on. This is ridiculous." And I led them over to the Slytherin table, where I sat down next to Draco. My friends eyed me momentarily, but Ginny followed my lead and plunked down across the table from me and Harry quietly took a seat at my side. A bit reluctantly Ron joined Hermione when she sat down next to Ginny.

The other Slytherins were eyeing us with distrust but said nothing. Food soon materialized on the table and we set about eating, partly to avoid awkward conversation. The few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws soon turned away from staring at us in amazement and focused on their meals as well. There were only three other Gryffindors who had stayed during the holiday. They had watched us with astonishment, but a Second Year took the hint and bravely rose. She came over and joined us as well, and the two First Years followed suit, though it looked more like they felt obligated rather than actually wanting to make the move.

The Ravenclaws had been whispering among themselves, and then five minutes into the meal, they picked up their plates and cups and transferred en masse to the Slytherin table as well. Seeing that, the Hufflepuffs looked at each and did the same. Now the original Slytherins really looked at a loss for what to do. All of them were Fourth Year or below, except for Draco. They didn't really feel comfortable getting up and moving away from upper classmen, so they stayed put but watched us all warily as if they thought this some great trick that was about to be sprung on them.

The teachers' table was largely vacant, as most had not yet returned from holiday. When Dumbledore entered the room and saw the new seating arrangement, an amused expression slid over his face and his eyes twinkled with delight. Without a word, he picked up his plate, cup and silverware and stepped down to the Slytherin table. He slipped into the space between Draco and the nearest Slytherin, set down his dinnerware and commented, "Ah, this is much cozier!" With that he set about dishing some stew onto his plate and appeared not to notice the shocked looks passing between students.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Well, at least one person thinks Deandra is a total Mary Sue! Fair enough. What about the rest of you? I tried to make her "human" and more of an "instigator" than one who solves the world's problems, but maybe that didn't happen... If not, sorry! I'll try to do better next time, if I write another HP story.

Chapter 14

I turned over and came face to face with Harry. As we were going to bed the night before he had whispered to me to meet him downstairs after Hermione was asleep. We had curled up on the couch and spent the night there, together. The couch was deep, but even so, the arm and leg he had thrown over me likely were to keep him from falling to the floor more than anything else, I thought ruefully.

Just then the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall swept in, coming to a disapproving halt at the sight of us entwined there. "Mr. Potter, Miss Alleyan, what do you think you are doing?" she demanded.

Harry barely stirred, so I nudged him hard to wake him, and he groggily opened his eyes. Professor McGonagall continued, "Sit up this instant!"

Not fully awake and aware of what was going on, Harry answered automatically, "Yes, ma'am." But still he didn't move and I couldn't really move until he did.

In exasperation, Professor McGonagall leaned over and smacked his arm sharply. "I said sit up!" she repeated. This time Harry moved to a sitting position and I scrambled to slide over next to him. Harry just sat there blinking at her, like he thought he was in the middle of a very surreal dream, while I struggled hard not to have a fit of the giggles at the whole affair.

McGonagall glared at the two of us and said, "At least _pretend_ to be chagrined at the impropriety of your behavior!" But I would swear I caught a slight twinkle in her eyes. Finally she turned to me and said, "Professor Dumbledore will speak with you now. If you'll just come with me, please."

Harry looked at me, "What does Dumbledore want to see you for?"

"Because I asked to speak with him. You can come if you like."

After a moment, he shook his head. "No, I'll wait here for you." I nodded and rose to leave with McGonagall.

Once we were in the corridor, I felt I should attempt an explanation for Professor McGonagall about what she had seen, "Professor, we really weren't doing anything, even if it maybe looked that way. He hasn't talked about it, yet, but I think Harry is still trying to deal with what happened at Malfoy Manor. He can't seem to sleep unless I'm nearby and he can make physical contact with me. Only then does he relax."

She glanced sideways at me and then uncharacteristically put an arm around my shoulders. She took a breath and then said quietly, "Even so, such arrangements can be inherently dangerous. Do be careful."

We walked in silence down a staircase before I told her, "Maybe someday we can think about marriage and babies and happily-ever-afters, Professor, but right now we have another year and a half of school and Voldemort to contend with. Harry and I both are orphans because of Voldemort. The last thing we want to do is bring a child into this world and then possibly have to leave it to someone else's care." She only nodded in response, but gave my shoulders a squeeze.

We reached the stair entrance that led to Dumbledore's office, where she gave the password (mistletoe) and left me to ascend alone. For the third time I found myself in his office, and he was sitting behind his desk awaiting my arrival. He gave me a warm smile and waved me to a chair opposite him. "Miss Alleyan, what can I do for you today?"

I took a deep breath and plunged in, "There are two things I needed to talk to you about. Draco Malfoy and Remus Lupin."

He nodded, and clearly I had said nothing surprising. "Ah, yes, Mr. Malfoy. Continue."

I hesitated, but felt Draco wouldn't mind me sharing enough of his personal information with the headmaster so that his situation was properly understood. "He can't go home anymore. Not now. If any of the Death Eaters know or suspect what happened that night, he will be a target. His mother is, at best, disinterested. She never protected him from his father's abuse; she isn't going to protect him now."

He nodded sadly, "Your assessment would be accurate, Miss Alleyan. I am well aware of Draco's situation. The only question that ever existed was whether he would follow down his father's destructive path, or be able to choose a better course for himself. Apparently, with your help, he has begun the latter. Do not be concerned about him. If need be, I will make arrangements for him to stay at Hogwarts over the summer. I doubt Narcissa will fight to bring him home. By next year he will be of age and can then determine for himself what he will do."

I think I had hoped for a more concrete solution, but I trusted Dumbledore to make good on his word. I drew a deep breath and said, "That leaves Moon...Remus Lupin."

"What about him?" he asked, studying my face intently.

"Well, he's been living at the headquarters of your secret society. I may not know all the details of it, but I know that much. He won't be able to go back there, and he won't be able to get a job to support himself, and he'll need somewhere to go when he gets out of the hospital."

"And what do you propose," Dumbledore asked, obviously assuming that I had something in mind.

"Well, um...Harry told me about the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack and Remus' history. Your secret society will need a new headquarters so why couldn't the Shrieking Shack be fixed up inside to accommodate that and to give him a home. Plus then he'd be nearby so I could make the Wolfsbane Potion for him when he needs it and he could see Harry regularly."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and his eyes were lit with amusement. "I suppose," he said, "since you are now so inextricably involved, you should at least know as much as Harry and his friends do about our 'secret society'. But if you do not mind, I will defer that discussion for another time. As to your suggestion about the Shrieking Shack, I had been considering that possibility myself. Have you actually seen the inside of the Shack, Miss Alleyan?"

I shook my head and he continued, "I think you will find that it is barely habitable in its present state. It would take a considerable amount of effort to make it comfortable for someone to live there on an ongoing basis, and to be used for our headquarters." He hadn't asked a question, but I sensed there was one underlying his words.

"Then I'll do whatever I can to accomplish it. I'm sure the others will help. And maybe Professor McGonagall or you could help with the magic that exceeds our ability..."

Apparently I had hit the nail on the head with my answer, and he smiled with pleasure. "I will be happy to assist you in any way needed and see that you have the materials that you require for the task. Perhaps the remainder of the holiday will provide time to work on it."

I grinned, "We'll get right on it! Do we know how soon they will let Mo...Remus come home?"

He shook his head, "Not yet."

"Professor, if I may make one more request, could I perhaps go visit him again? I hate to think of him in the hospital without any visitors," I admitted.

He smiled, "I'll see what I can arrange, though I think perhaps it best if _only_ you go. It would be too dangerous for Harry to accompany you."

I nodded, "I know. I suspected as much." We seemed to be finished so I rose and thanked him for taking the time to talk with me.

As I turned to go, he spoke again, "Miss Alleyan..." I looked back at him, curiously. "I would just like to say that I had some reservations about your coming to Hogwarts, particularly transferring in your final two years. But I must say you have brought far more to our school than I could ever have hoped, or dreamed. I see greater unity among the houses - well, at least the seeds of such have been sown. And you have strengthened and sustained Harry in ways his adult mentors could only hope to do. There are still very dark times ahead for us all, but especially for Harry. I am very glad he will not be facing them alone."

My face had flushed red as he began his comments, and I was left speechless by his words. I finally managed to squeak out, "Thank you, sir." He smiled at me again and bid me good day. I walked away feeling very glad to know we had him leading the way for us in those dark times to come.

When I returned to the common room, Harry was pretty much sitting exactly where I left him, staring blankly into the fire. I snuggled in beside him and told him, "It's almost 8:30. You want to go get something to eat?"

He ran a hand through his hair, messing it further, then fell over on the couch, pulling me with him. A moment later I heard his breathing slow and I knew he had gone back to sleep. Hermione came downstairs a short time later, but when she saw us she just smiled and went on to breakfast alone.

About an hour later, Harry began to stir. Ron came sauntering down the stairs and stopped at the sight of us, "So that's where you are."

As he continued into the room, I sat up and informed him, "Hermione's already gone down to breakfast. We should be down pretty soon."

Harry finally awoke enough to sit up as well and I gave him a good morning kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and just sat there holding me for quite a bit; I wasn't sure if it was due to sleepiness or something else. I kissed him again on the cheek and said, "Come on. Let's get showers and go eat."

Reluctantly he nodded and released me. We headed for the showers and a short time later had gone to join Ron and Hermione. Though they had finished eating, they were still seated, talking. As we entered the Great Hall, I noticed Dumbledore had promoted further house interaction by removing all the tables except for one that was shortened so it only roughly accommodated the number of students there over the holiday. I noted the Slytherins looked slightly more comfortable about the whole thing than they had the night before.

After we served ourselves, I told my three friends I would be needing their help later on a project. They looked at me curiously but I shook my head quickly to dissuade them from asking any questions just then. Suddenly a new thought occurred to me, and seeing that Dumbledore was now entering the Hall, I jumped up and went to intercept him.

"Miss Alleyan?" he asked as I approached.

"Professor, about our discussion earlier regarding Remus...I was just thinking that the present entrance is rather public to be having a lot of people coming and going..." He nodded his understanding and told me, "I'll take care of it. Come see me before you set out to do your part...after lunch." I indicated I understood and returned to my seat.

The other three looked at me quizzically but I merely told them, "Later."

After breakfast, we found a secluded corner of the common room so we could talk freely and I explained about the Shrieking Shack and what I had volunteered us to do. Just then Professor McGonagall entered and came over to us. "Miss Alleyan, the Headmaster has told me you would like to accompany me to visit Remus Lupin. Are you free to go now?" I nodded and stood.

Hermione rose as well and told me, "Give him our love, too." I smiled and indicated I would.

Professor McGonagall told me, "We'll travel by Floo powder so you won't be needing your cloak." I followed her to her office, where we set off for St. Mungo's.

When we arrived, Remus was sitting up in bed, looking much better than the last time I had seen him. He smiled weakly at us and welcomed, "Minerva, how good to see you. And my lovely daughter, too!"

Professor McGonagall started at that and looked at me in confusion. "I'll explain later," I told her with a grin.

Remus was mending well though he was still feeling weak from all the blood he had lost before help arrived. I passed along the get-well messages from the others and we chatted for a bit. I knew he was curious to know what was going on, so when the Healer had left and we had a bit of privacy, I explained briefly what had happened the night he was injured and the arrangements we were making for his new home. He smiled regretfully, "I didn't have many personal belongings but I'm afraid what little I did have remains at Grimmauld Place."

I had forgotten to mention my scavenging pass through the building before coming to see him, and I assured him that I had collected most, if not all, his possessions. Harry had brought them back to school with us when we left the Burrow.

We had a pleasant visit though he visibly tired after about half an hour, which Professor McGonagall noted and determined we should depart. I leaned over and gave him a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek, whispering, "If you're not home in a day or two, I'll try to come again." He smiled his gratitude as he lay back against his pillows and drifted off to sleep.

After my return, the four of us whiled away our time in the common room until lunch. Knowing we would be spending time on the headquarters renovation, we finished up our remaining homework to get it out of the way. Finally it was lunchtime and we headed downstairs.

Draco and Ginny were already seated, and Ron's eyes narrowed as he saw them sitting together. Clearly he wasn't keen on his sister spending time with Draco, but he knew if he tried to stop her it would only start a fight and make her more determined than ever to do it just to spite him.

When lunch was over, Dumbledore approached the four of us and asked us to please get our cloaks and meet him in the entrance hall. We hastened to do so and he led the way down toward Hagrid's hut. At first we thought that was our destination, but once there he continued on past it into the Forbidden Forest. We came to a small clearing not too far into the trees and he told us, "Here is a new entrance to the Shrieking Shack that will be hidden from view. As with the other headquarters we used, you will only be able to find the entrance if I have personally told you its location." Then, winking at me, he added, "And this headquarters will not admit owl post! I will instruct Remus to have his mail sent to me and I will pass it along to him."

He gave us directions on how to find the entrance and a moment later, a door was visible to our eyes. He said, "Let me know what assistance you may need in getting the place habitable. And Professor McGonagall will help as needed also." With that, he turned and left us and the four of us opened the door to the entrance.

There was a rough staircase that led down into the existing tunnel that ran between the Whomping Willow and the shack. We headed for the shack to see what needed doing. Once we arrived, it was obvious that cleaning was the first order of business. Hermione, ever ready for any occasion, produced a piece of parchment, quill and ink and began a list of chores. Ron, Harry and I began repairing broken furniture that looked to still be in decent condition. Hermione did some cleaning spells that took the worst of the dirt off and sealed the ceiling and walls to keep dirt out and heat in. The place immediately felt much warmer.

With Hermione's list, we returned to the school to gather supplies. I was tempted to draft the help of Draco and Ginny, but decided I'd best not provide Draco with any information until I had been given permission to do so. We could let Ginny know later what we were up to and she could help then. Hermione, who had learned how to enchant her knitting needles to knit caps for the house-elves during her efforts to free them, set the needles to work making an afghan for Remus' bed. She had some dark blue yarn on hand already, and we decided to ask for permission to visit Hogsmeade to pick up more.

Over the next few days, the place began to shape up into livable habitation, and we were pleased with our progress. We received news that Moony would be able to come home from the hospital the following day, so we gathered a supply of food for him and took his belongings down to his new room. Dumbledore had arranged for Hagrid's fireplace to be put on the Floo network temporarily so that Moony could Floo into there and not have so far to walk.

He was overwhelmed when we accompanied him into the building that had been so familiar to him but now looked completely different - clean and homey. I would swear I saw a tear in his eye, but he wiped it away surreptiously and I made no comment. Ginny had prepared a large pot of stew for him so he would only have to reheat some rather than fix meals for a few days. We promised to come by daily to check on him until he was completely back on his feet. I think he would have liked to visit with us longer, but getting to Hogwarts and then his new home had sapped all his reserve of energy. I could tell by his pallor that he needed to rest, so I announced our departure and shooed everyone out the door. Before I closed the door to his room, he called softly, "Deandra?" When I looked over at him he smiled his gratitude, "Thank you. You've truly treated me as a daughter would." I gave him a grin and followed my friends out.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Too soon classes were back in session and we resettled into our old routines. At the return of all the students, Professor Dumbledore took the opportunity to make a change in the eating arrangements. Rather than have the students gather by house at a given table, he instructed that a table each was to be designated for First and Second Years, for Third and Fourth Years, for Fifth and Sixth Years and for Seventh Years, with any overflow from the first three tables sitting at the Seventh Year table. There was a lot of discontent and grumbling about this change, but no one dared argue the point with the Headmaster. After a few weeks, the students began to adjust and even began to intermingle houses more at their table, though Slytherins were naturally the most resistant to it.

Something else new was that I had gotten an idea from the Marauder's Map that Harry had shown me. He had explained how our fathers and Remus had compiled the information and after he showed me how it worked, it occurred to me to ask Moony's help on a way to make it easier to communicate with Draco. I had bought two blank journals and took them to him, explaining what I wanted to do. He helped enchant them so that Draco and I could each put a password on our book and no one else could open it to find anything written there, unless they opened it with the password. All they would see were blank pages. Draco and I could write in our own journal and the words would appear in both of them. The other person could then respond. We could leave messages in there indefinitely or we could delete them when we were done. Since Ginny was spending time with Draco also, I let her help me set the password on mine so she would be able to access it as well.

Quidditch was still in full swing and as we drew closer to the end of the school year, the rivalries heated up as the race for the House Cup began to be determined. One late March afternoon, Draco and I had been sitting watching the Gryffindors practice while we talked in the stands. As dusk began to settle in, the team called it a day and headed for the locker room. Draco and I began to walk slowly down the Quidditch pitch in that direction to meet up with Harry and Ginny.

Without warning, I was hit with a Stunning Spell from behind and Draco was knocked to the ground. Two beefy figures on brooms swept up behind me, each grabbing an arm as they started to climb. Draco staggered to his feet but couldn't attempt a spell without hitting me. Before they could get high enough, he jumped and caught hold of one of the brooms. They wrestled to hang onto me and keep climbing, while attempting to brush him off. Finally, when they were a good twenty-five feet up a booted foot caught him hard in the side and knocked him loose.

He plummeted to the ground, landing with a sickening crunch, all the wind knocked out of him. A few players had emerged from the locker room and saw him fall as the two brooms soared away. Ron and Colin Creevey raced over to the crumpled form, not initially knowing who it was in the semi-darkness. Ron skidded to a halt when he realized it was Draco, while Colin bent down to check on him. Draco finally had managed to suck some air back into his lungs and looked wildly up at Ron. "Get Potter!" he croaked. Ron stood rooted to the spot until Draco wheezed again, "Get Potter, now! They took her!"

Finally it penetrated to Ron just who had been with Draco during the attack and he ran to the locker room as Harry and Ginny were exiting. "Come quick, it's Draco. I think they kidnapped Deandra." He pointed to where Draco was struggling to sit up.

Harry stumbled to a stop beside him, fear in his eyes, "What happened?"

Draco forced out a brief explanation, and Harry jumped up frantically searching the skies, but saw no trace of anyone on a broom. He turned and raced for Dumbledore's office, leaving Draco there on the ground. Ginny hurried forward and smacked her brother on the arm, "Ron, help Colin get Draco to the infirmary." When he didn't move she snapped, "Now!" Begrudgingly, Ron helped Draco to stand, but Madam Hooch ran forward just then, having been alerted by another team member. She conjured a stretcher for Draco, and Ginny accompanied him to the hospital while Ron ran for the common room to find Hermione.

A short time later Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and Hermione converged on the hospital wing. By now Draco was breathing easier and Madam Pomfrey had begun healing his broken wrist, leg and ribs. As they approached, Draco hastily wiped his eyes, looking suspiciously like he had been crying. Ginny looked up from her spot by his bed.

Dumbledore looked gently down at Draco and asked, "Mr. Malfoy please tell us what happened." Draco related the events as best he could remember them - the Stunning Spell, the two men on brooms who carried me away, his own efforts to prevent it before being knocked to the ground.

The Headmaster wore a grave expression as he told the assembled group, "If I'm not very much mistaken, this was no random kidnapping. They got who they came for. I'm afraid Miss Alleyan has fallen into the hands of Voldemort or his supporters. My guess would be they will try to use her to get to Harry."

Harry's face registered his panic, but clearly he had no idea of where to even begin looking for me. Hermione watched him for a moment, then said quietly, "Professor Dumbledore, would it be possible for Professor Snape to make the Wolfsbane Potion for Moony this month? It's almost the full moon." He nodded, but the question only served to increase Harry's distress as it suggested that I would not easily be recovered.

Dumbledore turned to him and lay a quieting hand on his shoulder, "Harry, we will do everything possible to find her as quickly as possible and to get her back unharmed. However, I'm afraid that for the moment all that can be done by you and your friends is to wait, and try to be patient. I will alert the Order to begin searching immediately." He hurried from the room.

Harry sank into a chair, just staring into space and Hermione ached to see him in such pain, but knew full well he would not be comforted until I was safely back with him. Another thought tugged at her consciousness, and she murmured, "Moony will want to know. I'll go tell him." Ron took her hand and followed her out, knowing he could not help Harry just now anyway.

After sitting for several minutes in silence, like a zombie, Harry arose and walked out of the hospital, not really knowing where his feet were taking him. Ginny reached over and took Draco's hand as they watched him leave. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered. "You did everything you could." Even so, another tear slipped from his eyes as he laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes tight.

Harry walked blindly for some time and eventually found himself standing in the middle of the common room, though he didn't remember the trip to get there or even opening the portrait hole with the password. He stared at the room that had become so familiar to him but now felt completely foreign. Not knowing what else to do, he climbed the stairs to his room, drew the curtains around him and lay down on this bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind still numb from the shock.

A half hour later, Ron found him, still lying there. "Harry? Come with me, mate." Harry didn't look at him, but Ron grabbed his arm. "Come on. You need to come with me." Obediently Harry got up and followed him, not really caring where they were going or why. Ron led him through the halls for some time until he vaguely realized they were in the corridor outside the Room of Requirement. Ron pushed the door open and led him inside. Hermione and Moony were waiting there, and Moony hurried over to him.

Moony could tell immediately from the look on Harry's face that he was out of it. As much as he wanted to be able to tell Harry that everything would be all right and that I would be safely returned to them soon, he knew that Harry's entire life stood as testament that it may very well not be true. I might not come back unharmed, or even at all. The thought caused him nearly as much pain as he saw etched on Harry's face. At last, all he could think to do was to embrace the boy, to at least let him know he wouldn't have to go through this alone. But he knew that it would be small comfort.

xxxxx

When I finally woke up, it was dark and I found myself on a cold, stone floor. There was a bit of moonlight coming through the window set high up on the stone walls. Hastily I searched my pockets but, not unexpectedly, my wand was gone. I felt around the room in the dim light until I found the bars. Apparently I was being held prisoner, but by whom?

I moved back over to the wall and sat down, leaning against it. I tried to piece together what I could of what had happened. I had been with Draco - where was he? Here also? I pushed away the possibility that he was dead, unwilling to contemplate that just now.

Then I heard footsteps and saw light beginning to shine along the walls outside the cell. Someone was coming; perhaps now I would get some answers, though I felt reasonably certain I wouldn't like hearing anything they had to say.

A small man appeared at the door to the cell, holding a torch. Behind him stood a man with a snakelike face and hard cold eyes. Slowly I stood to face them, trying to appear unafraid but knowing I was probably failing miserably at the charade.

"So, you are awake," said a harsh, unpleasant voice. "It has come to my attention that you are important to Harry Potter. Knowing his propensity for playing the hero, he will no doubt attempt to rescue you - as soon as I let it slip to him where you can be found." He gave a menacing laugh and the small man with him chuckled slavishly at his words. The man moved closer to the bars, and told me, "But don't think we won't enjoy your company until he arrives. If there is anything Harry Potter hates worse than his own suffering, it is knowing that his friends are suffering because of him. And of course I wouldn't want to disappoint the dear boy...Crucio!"

A white-hot flame slammed into my body and I fell writhing and screaming to the floor. Every fiber of my being shrieked for death to release it from the agony, but there was no relief. The two men watched me for a few moments before releasing me from the curse. The man laughed coldly as I gasped in remembrance of the pain, my tears falling freely onto the floor. Still laughing, he turned and walked away, the smaller man racing ahead to light the way.

I don't know how long I was there - a few hours, a few days, a few weeks? I was given no food and felt myself getting hungry and thirsty, and weaker. And periodically they returned, to repeat the curse and revel in my pain, drawing as much pleasure from my screams as I was drawing agony. I barely seemed to recover a modicum of my strength and clear thinking when they returned and it all began again. I lost track of how many times they came.

Finally, however, they did not return as soon as usual and my head cleared enough to know I had to get out of there. I couldn't wait for Harry to find me, if he even could, though I realized full well they intended him to come and die there with me. Mustering all the strength I had left, I transformed into an owl, flew to the high window and set off for safety. Luckily, it was just after sunset when I left, so I would be harder to follow. I had been held on an island and it took all my strength to make it back to land and find a secure place to rest for a time. I had no idea where I was - what country? What city? After a few hours of rest I sought food and water, then began my journey home.

After flying some time, I found a city and was able to fly low enough to determine where I was. With that information I was able to set a course back to Hogwarts, but it was a long way off and my reserves were low. I know I flew for at least two days but I was fast losing ground physically. I was weakened enough that I found it difficult to hunt for food to sustain me. Most small animals were proving too quick for me to catch. So I pressed on. Late one night, by the light of a full moon, I saw the familiar spires and towers of Hogwarts in the distance. I headed for it, coming in over the Forbidden Forest. I almost made it, too. But when I set down by the lake to take a drink, I was too exhausted to continue. I collapsed there on the ground, unmoving.

And then a wolf found me. Not just any wolf. My friend. He set up a loud, mournful howl until finally someone noticed. Hermione heard the wolf as she sat by the window in her dorm room. Her dormmates were asleep, but she had been finding sleep difficult. The howl of the wolf attracted her attention and she could dimly see it silhouetted down by the lake. Suddenly her stomach lurched. Hastily she threw on her cloak over her pajamas and ran barefoot down the stairs and out into the night. She raced toward the howling wolf and came to a halt a few feet away, staring at it. It stopped howling and turned to her with a whine. And then she saw the owl on the ground beside it. She looked at the wolf and it whined again, but backed away so she could approach the fallen bird. Hermione could not have proven it rationally or found anything in any of her books to support her theory, but she KNEW that Moony had found Deandra. She gently picked up the bird and raced for the hospital wing.

Along the way, the halls were deserted much to her annoyance. Finally, just before she got to the hospital, she saw Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, cruising blithely along. "Nick!" He turned to her in surprise, "Miss Granger? You're out and about at an unseemly hour, aren't you?"

"Never mind that! Go wake Harry and tell him to come to the hospital at once, and then tell Dumbledore. I think we've found Deandra!" She turned on her heel and dashed off, and Nick hurriedly set about his assignment.

Hermione ran into the hospital wing, calling for Madam Pomfrey who scurried from her bed, loudly fussing about the disturbance. Not realizing the situation, she scolded Hermione for the uproar and for bringing her a sick bird. Hermione was finally able to catch her breath enough to explain that the owl was really an Animagus. Suddenly Madam Pomfrey let out another exclamation, "What on earth is that thing doing in here!"

Hermione turned to see that the wolf had followed her inside. She smiled gently at it, then answered, "It's all right, Madam Pomfrey. He's a friend. He won't hurt anyone." Since this did appear to be true, the Healer made no further comment and took the bird from Hermione, just as Harry ran into the room, followed closely by Ron and then the Headmaster.

"Are you certain it's her, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Well, no, I can't be sure. I've never seen her transform, but the wolf found her and set to howling to attract attention to her. I think he can tell." The wolf in question was hovering nearby, closely watching the proceedings.

Dumbledore turned to it and asked, "Remus?" The wolf's tail began to wave in acknowledgement, and the headmaster smiled. "Poppy, I do not believe Miss Alleyan has the strength to transform back to her human form. Will you assist me in doing it for her?" Pomfrey nodded and they lay me on a bed. Then both drew out their wands and performed the transformation spell to make me human.

Madam Pomfrey turned to the people gathered around and said quietly, "I'll need time to examine her. Wait over there, please." She waved to the chairs near the door and everyone moved in that direction except Harry, who stood anchored to the ground, staring at my unconscious form.

Gently Dumbledore laid a hand on his shoulder. "You, too, Harry. Let Madam Pomfrey help her."

I confess that I don't remember much of that night, or the following week. Most of what I know now came to me from Hermione, who patiently answered all my questions, though I sensed she was sometimes reluctant to do so.

My physical injuries were not very severe, mostly just cuts and bruises, and only the lack of food and water for a number of days and exhaustion provided much indication of what I had gone through. But somehow, once I escaped and knew I was safe, my brain shut down. Hermione told me how strange it was to see me sitting there impassively staring into space, not responding to any voice or face, not even Harry's.

If my kidnapping had been painful, it was even more so for him to get back this ghost who didn't even acknowledge his existence. Hermione said he cried, and he didn't care who saw. And he got angry. People learned to steer real clear of him since they never knew what might set him off.

The minor injuries healed, I slept off the exhaustion and I ate or drank whatever someone fed me. But I didn't speak and I didn't think and mostly I tried not to remember.

Professor McGonagall had finally convinced Harry to return to his classes, though apparently it was rather pointless since he just stared into space and heard nothing that was said. Hermione said that even Snape left him alone. Once or twice he would start to criticize Harry's inattention, but then just let it be. Hermione, for the first time in her life, didn't say a word about helping Harry. She pretty much wrote his essays and did his homework for him without comment.

Apparently about the third or fourth day, Hermione persuaded Dumbledore to let her bring Moony to see me. They had managed to get me up and walking, but it was rather like leading a robot around. If they stopped, I stopped. If they walked away, I just stood there. Hermione had convinced them to put a couch by the window so I could be taken down there and at least look out the window, perhaps hoping something would spark my interest. But I just stared, and said nothing.

And then Moony came. Ron and Hermione smuggled him in under Harry's invisibility cloak so he wouldn't be seen by anyone in the halls. It was evening and I was still seated by the window, staring. He came and knelt down in front of me, his already tired and worn face etched with worry and concern. He took both my hands in his and his thumbs gently stroked the backs of my hands. There was something soothing about that and my eyes flickered briefly. Softly he repeated my own words back to me from his hospital stay, "Hey you! Why don't you come out and talk to me."

I can't explain what happened then. For the first time in days I actually _heard_ a voice, a familiar voice, a beloved voice. Tears welled up in my eyes and my arms slipped around his neck. "Thank you - for finding me," I whispered hoarsely. He came up onto the couch next to me and pulled me into his lap, holding me as if I were a small child who had skinned her knee. And I wept. And he said nothing; he just held me and made me feel safe.

Harry had apparently come in while this was taking place and it was with difficulty that Ron and Hermione kept him there at the other end of the room with them. "Not yet, Harry," Hermione said gently. "You still need to give her time." She said the expression on his face told her that his heart was breaking, and it almost broke hers to see it. So she put her arms around him and held him, and they waited.

I guess Moony was there for an hour or so, then gently led me back to bed. "I'll come back tomorrow," he promised. He had to promise. He couldn't get me to let go of his hands until he did. And then my eyes slipped closed and I slept. Moony crossed the room to Harry and embraced him. "Don't give up hope," he told him. "We may get her back, yet." Hermione said Harry stayed for quite awhile and just watched me sleep.

The next day was Saturday, and Moony didn't even wait for Hermione and the invisibility cloak. He just walked right in, not caring if anyone saw him. He wasn't there long when Harry and Hermione showed up as well. As I hadn't had breakfast yet, they walked me down to the couch and Moony sat there feeding me, and having something to eat as well. Again Harry and Hermione watched from the other end of the room.

All Moony really did was hold me and talk to me. In the late afternoon, as the sun was beginning to set, he pulled me close and softly told me, "Whenever he's needed you, you were always there for Harry, sharing his hurt. He wants to do the same thing for you but you're shutting him out. It's already killing him to see you like this. Don't hurt him any more. Let him hold you - let him help you." Tears slid down my cheeks at his words, but I said nothing. He kissed my forehead and told me, "I'll come back tomorrow." I let him pull his hands free and walk away. I heard him leave the room and close the door.

The next thing I knew I had transformed into my Animagus form and took off out the window. Harry let out a yell and ran to the window, followed closely by Hermione. They watched with some alarm as I soared and dipped over the lake and over the forest, but finally I turned and headed back to the window from which I'd come. They stepped back to let me fly in and I landed on the couch. I merely sat there in bird form for several minutes and they began to move back to their spot near the door, to leave me alone. When I transformed, my back was still to them, but tentatively I called out, "Harry?"

I heard his breath catch in his throat and he stood uncertainly where he was, hardly daring to believe I had called him. I repeated the entreaty, "Harry?"

In an instant he was beside me, his arms around me, his face buried in my neck, crying. Hermione waited until my arms moved slowly around him and I began to cry also. Then weeping herself, she slipped quietly out of the room and left us alone.

We must have sat there a long time. Madam Pomfrey tried to chase him off and get me into bed, but we never even looked at her. Maybe she decided it wasn't that important after all. All I know is, she left us alone. And Harry held me. Eventually I did go to bed, but not alone. Harry crawled in next to me and we curled up with his arms around me. I think it may be the first time Harry had really slept since I disappeared. Oddly enough, though I was asleep, I suddenly seemed to finally be awake. I was aware of Harry's breathing on my neck, I felt his arms around me, I dreamt and finally I let go of something deep inside that had been choking me into silence all that time.

Eventually I remembered most of what had happened. Dumbledore helped with that. Eventually I went back to my classes and my life returned to normal. But for a long time, the Gryffindors got used to finding me and Harry sleeping together on the couch in the common room. We were still behaving, as I had assured McGonagall we would, but it took some time before we could sleep alone through the night. Now I understood better Harry's need to be near me after the incident at Malfoy's manor.

In a funny sort of way, this whole experience seemed to change quite a few things. The students in other houses were united in their sympathy and concern, and they forgot they didn't like each other. I had the feeling if Dumbledore had restored the original plan of seating by house, that many of them would have ignored it and still eaten with their new friends in other houses.

It took awhile for Draco to stop feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to protect me that day. I think Ginny was finally the one that helped him get over it. She's pretty amazing. Dumbledore asked her to do him a favor and help Malfoy with his lessons, since he couldn't write until his broken wrist was completely healed and he had trouble getting around with the mending broken leg. She just smiled at Dumbledore and told him he'd have to wait until another time to ask a favor of her - she was already planning to do those things so she couldn't do them as a favor to him! For once, I think Dumbledore may have been surprised - amused, but surprised.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Well, it's a relief to know that most of you don't think she is a "Mary Sue". By the way, no, she isn't me, even though the name is the same. Deandra Alleyan is my pen name (real name Kay) and I often use it for characters until I come up with another name. But I forgot tochange it before I posted this, and I'm sure not going to change it now! (Plus, it would confuse the heck out of you all if her name suddenly changed...)

Chapter 16

Our sixth year had been eventful, to say the least, and we were all glad to see it almost over. Unfortunately, summer meant Harry would have to be going back to the Dursleys, and I couldn't bear the thought of him stuck with those dreadful people. I got Mum and Dad's approval to invite him for all or part of the summer with us, and then we went to see Dumbledore to try and talk him into it.

We knew that part of why Harry had to go to the Dursleys was because of the protection afforded him there, but we were hoping that by his leaving the country they might consider him safe also. Dumbledore listened patiently to our arguments for the plan, then looked at us solemnly over his steepled fingers. "I am willing to allow this, but under one condition. I believe it is essential that Harry have a member of the Order with him. Until the two of you are of age, and can legally do magic outside of school, Harry is extremely vulnerable."

I broke into a grin, "Great! I wanted to invite Remus along too. Now he won't have an excuse to say no!"

The Headmaster nodded, "If Remus will agree to it, that will suffice. However, you will not be able to make the Wolfsbane Potion for him in America, as that is considered magic. Harry will need to go to the Dursleys until Remus is well enough to travel, and return there when Remus has to come back to Hogwarts for the full moon."

We weren't thrilled about that, but Harry figured he could tolerate the Dursleys for a few days. We hurried off to talk to Remus about the plan and make specific arrangements. I wasn't too surprised that Remus was reluctant to impose on my parents, and I could understand his reasons. But he could see how much we wanted Harry to go, which required someone else coming, and he knew we were genuine in our desire that it be him. Finally he agreed on the condition that I warn my parents that he was a werewolf.

"It won't matter," I assured him. "But I'll tell them. Thing is, if I say you're okay, they'll believe me, no matter what reservations they may have. And once they meet you, they'll even forget about their reservations."

"All the same," he reiterated, "tell them about me and make sure they agree to having me there."

Harry and I headed immediately for the owlery to send Hedwig off with the message. Four days later I had their answer back assuring me that any of my friends were welcome there. I showed it to Moony as proof and he finally relented and agreed to come. He arranged to meet us at the Dursleys on July 5th and we would portkey from there.

The other surprise arrangement for the summer break had to do with Draco. Turned out Dumbledore had spoken with the Weasleys and they had reluctantly agreed to have him come to the Burrow for the summer. Dumbledore had explained the situation to them and since Ginny was Draco's only real friend besides me, and because they felt Draco would benefit from a positive home environment for a change, they were willing to have him there. Ron wasn't very keen on the idea, but since his parents had approved it he had no choice but to go along with it. Hermione was invited to come the first few weeks of vacation as well, and I think it mainly had to do with the idea that she might help ease the adjustment of Draco being under Ron's roof. Ginny talked them into having me stay there also until it was time to meet Moony at the Dursleys and head off to America with Harry.

All that was left were our exams and then we would be on our way. Ginny was more stressed than we were since she was facing O.W.L.s, but Draco spent a lot of time coaching her and she felt fairly confident about them. When they were over, she seemed to think she had done pretty well.

We all kind of had mixed emotions on the train ride back to London. Everyone seemed to be in much different circumstances than when we had come to Hogwarts the previous September, and no one was entirely sure how it would all work out.

Harry and I walked hand in hand through the barrier, and waited for the others. From a distance he pointed out the Dursleys, who were looking tense and put out. I turned to Harry and asked quietly, "Do they know you have a girlfriend now?"

He shook his head and grinned, "Not that I was trying to keep you a secret or anything, but I don't keep in touch with them when I'm away at school."

A wicked gleam came into my eyes, "Well, then, it's time they found out!" With that I slid my arms up around his neck and gave him a long and tantalizing kiss. Naturally he responded by wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer, prolonging the kiss since he wouldn't get another from me until he saw me again on the 5th. I could hear Ron sniggering and he whispered to Hermione, "Look at the Dursleys! They're about to have apoplexy!"

Hermione struggled to keep a straight face as she caught me by the arm and said, "Come on, you two! You've caused enough trouble!"

Laughingly we pulled away from each other, and I reluctantly told him, "See you soon!" He nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Forcing a grin on his face he picked up Hedwig's cage, put it on the trolley and strolled over toward the Dursleys, looking as nonchalant as possible despite the expressions on their faces.

The rest of us gathered our belongings and followed Mr. Weasley out of the station.

It took almost my entire time at the Burrow to get Ron used to the idea of Draco being there, but I think he finally just gave in to the inevitable. That didn't mean he particularly made any effort to be friendly, but he at least stopped glaring at him whenever he entered a room. Hermione and Ginny did all they could to keep the two apart to prevent any mishaps. It took awhile for Draco to get used to the notion of helping out. His parents had had servants that did pretty much everything, so setting or clearing dishes from a table, working in the garden and such were pretty foreign concepts for him. But Ginny was able to make a game of just about anything, and often he had done a lot of helping without even realizing it.

Finally it came time for me to head for the Dursleys. It had been arranged for me to Floo to Arabella Figg's house and walk from there. She was a pleasant older woman, the daughter of magical parents but with no magical ability herself, who had a penchant for cats and a house that smelled of cabbage, though I couldn't figure out why. I had to look through a few pictures of her cats before she finally gave me directions and sent me off to the Dursleys.

I approached the front door of number four, Privet Drive with a bit of trepidation. I wasn't keen on meeting these people. I had seen them from a distance and I had heard Harry talk about them, and I couldn't think of _any_ reason I would want to know them. But I figured I had to make with the niceties until we could leave. I took a deep breath and knocked.

A woman's thin, pinched face appeared before me. "May I help you?" she asked pleasantly. Although I recognized her as Harry's aunt, it was apparent she did not remember me.

"I'm Deandra Alleyan. I'm here to see Harry."

The smile slipped from her face. "I'm sorry you must have the wrong hou..." she began as she started to close the door.

I put my hand on it and pushed firmly. Quietly I told her, "Mrs. Dursley, I'm here to see Harry. Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." She paled visibly and stepped back. I wasn't sure it was an invitation to enter so much as a retreat from the look on my face, but I moved into the hallway and closed the door behind me.

"He's...he's upstairs," she croaked, watching me warily.

"No, I'm here," Harry said, racing down the stairs and sweeping me into a hug. He whispered in my ear, "And he's been listening from upstairs and trying not to laugh!" I pulled my face into a 'why, whatever do you mean, Mr. Potter?' expression and tried to look innocent, which just made it that much harder for the both of us to not burst out laughing.

"Let's go into the living room," he suggested and we walked past his aunt to take a seat on the sofa. She followed us in, but stood nervously by the door.

Dudley wandered in and asked loudly, "So, who's this, Potter?"

Harry replied, "My girlfriend - Deandra Alleyan."

"Girlfriend," Dudley snorted. "Who'd want to be _your_ girlfriend? What did you do, use your magic on her to make her fall in love with you?"

Harry's jaw tightened, but I reached for his hand. "Oh, Harry, this must be that cousin you mentioned...what was his name? Diddley?" Harry grinned as Dudley flushed red and I looked his cousin in the eye, "Did you ever get rid of that tail?" I pulled out my wand and added, "I could remove it for you, if you like."

Dudley began to look panicked and his hands immediately tried to protectively cover his overly large backside. Aunt Petunia let out a shriek, "You put that away! You aren't allowed to do magic outside of school - we know all about your being underage!"

I looked mildly at her and replied, "Oh yes, the 'under age seventeen' law they have in Britain. But you see, I'm from America. We only have to be sixteen there to use magic outside of school."

Dudley made a dash for the door and Petunia scurried quickly out behind him. Harry was choking he was trying so hard not to laugh. "That isn't true, is it?"

"What?"

"About being sixteen to use magic in America."

"Well, actually, yes it is. Though I suppose I probably should have mentioned that I'm governed by British laws when I'm in this country... And of course there is the small matter that I'm still only fifteen until August."

We both collapsed in giggles, not bothering to hide it any longer. "What time will Moony be here?" Harry finally managed to gasp, wiping away tears.

"I'm not sure exactly. Should be any time now," I responded, glancing at my watch that showed it was a little after 4:00. As if on cue, Moony Apparated in front of us with a 'pop' and gave us a warm smile. He looked very tired and we each gave him a big hug.

We all headed for Harry's room where he had his trunk packed and broom ready to go. Moony reached for the broomstick, "Might as well use this for the portkey." He placed the portkey spell on the broom and then reached for one end of Harry's trunk while Harry picked up the other. I grabbed Hedwig's cage and we each grasped the broom handle with our free hand. A moment later, Surrey was long gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Replies to reviewers:

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur - Well actually, at the risk of showing my age, the line you refer to as being from the Hulk movie is actually from the old Hulk TV show with Bill Bixby originally! I didn't watch the show all that much, but that one line has stuck in my head and it just seemed to fit there. (For those of you who have no idea what we are talking about, it is: "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." which usually preceded David Banner 'hulking out'.)

danuschka - I understand what you mean about not knowing Harry's thoughts, but the trouble with writing in "first person" is that you only get the story from what they see or hear or know. They can "guess" what someone is thinking or feeling but don't know. In another story I did in first person, I threw in a few POVs from someone else, and tried to make a smooth transition, but people also found that confusing. If you write a story in third person, which is what JKR mostly does, you are sort of an omnipotent narrator and you can have insight into all the characters and share as much or little as you want of their thoughts, motivations, etc. Until recently, that was usually how I wrote. It's only lately I've done stories in first person, mainly because they seemed to "want" to be written that way.

mysticah - thanks for the long review! To some extent, the POV answer is the same as what I told danuschka. I knew that whole passage while Deandra was in the hospital was going to be a little "odd" and so I threw in a line to explain how she knew all this stuff to be telling it in first person. That line was in Ch. 14:

I confess that I don't remember much of that night, or the following week. Most of what I know now came to me from Hermione, who patiently answered all my questions, though I sensed she was sometimes reluctant to do so.

So Deandra's relaying what Hermione told her later, and in that sense it is more "here's what happened last week" than most of it which is "here's what is happening right now". Hope that helps. POV can be a very tricky thing!

Chapter 17

We landed a bit noisily in my parents' living room in Pennsylvania. They heard us from the kitchen and dashed in to welcome us. Mum couldn't resist hugging everyone in the room, even hugging Dad before she realized what she was doing. Harry was looking a bit nervous as I made the introductions. He was always a bit sensitive about the stares he usually got at the mention of his name, along with the flicker of eyes to glance at his famous scar. Instead, my parents gave him the once over and seemed pleased with what they saw, before turning to greet Remus. I leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Scar be damned; they're only interested in checking out a possible future son-in-law!"

He smiled with amusement and then quipped, "Only 'possible'?"

Wickedly I grinned at him and replied, "Well, I know my father _liked_ you, but that doesn't mean he would have wanted me to _marry_ you!" Harry gave me a mock glare that told me he'd make me pay for that later, when he wasn't trying to behave in front of my parents.

Mum led us all back to the kitchen/dining area and we settled around the table, beginning to get acquainted. Dad sat back in his chair and looked at Harry, "So, Harry, tell me about yourself. I know what Deandra's told us, but she's obviously biased." His eyes twinkled in my direction and he pointedly ignored my glare.

"Er...well, what exactly do you want to know, sir?" Harry stammered.

"Well the first thing I want to know is why you haven't started calling me David instead of 'sir'?" Dad teased and Harry flushed red. He leaned forward and added, "No third degree, Harry. De's told us the basics - defeated Voldemort, has to do it again, yada, yada, yada. That's all very well and good, but who _is_ Harry Potter? What does he want to do with his life when Voldemort finally leaves him alone?"

Harry realized Dad wasn't trying to pressure him and relaxed a little. And it probably impressed him that Dad calls him 'Voldemort' instead of 'You-Know-Who'; he keeps forgetting we don't have that quirk like they do in Britain. "Well, I'll be graduating after next year. Hopefully I can become an Auror. That's someone who tracks down users of the Dark Arts and brings them to justice."

"Sounds dangerous," Dad commented.

Harry glanced at me, then told him, "Yeah, it is. But I reckon it's like a policeman or a fireman. Someone has to do the dangerous jobs in order to keep everyone else safe." I think Dad could tell he was trying to justify it, probably because of me.

Dad leaned toward him and said, "Harry, whatever you want to do with your life is your business. Maybe someday Deandra will be a part of your life, and then it will be up to her whether she minds what you do for a living, but I assure you, she won't ask my opinion. She'll decide for herself. And I wouldn't have it any other way." His eyes convinced Harry he was speaking the truth and a glance at Mum, told him she agreed. He relaxed more and told them, "Thank you."

Moony had been listening with interest, and Dad then turned to him, "And what about you Remus? What do you do?"

Moony grinned ruefully, "Not much, I'm afraid. Not many people want to hire werewolves. I do write some scholarly papers when I can, to bring in a little income."

"What sort of scholarly papers?" asked Mum.

"It varies, but mostly has to do with the Dark Arts in some way. That is sort of my specialty."

"Didn't Deandra say you taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts?" Dad queried.

"For one year only. Word got out about my lycanthropy and I thought it best to resign before a parent protest forced me to be fired."

"Sounds rather discriminatory, if you ask me," Dad stated. "A man ought to be allowed to make a living for himself, even if he does have a condition that requires some precautions be taken. Didn't De tell us there is a Potion that renders you harmless?"

Moony glanced sideways at me and replied, "Yes, there is. And she is kind enough to make it for me each month. But a number of laws were passed to protect people from werewolves and so the discrimination is legal. Besides, even if they couldn't force you out legally, they can make you feel so unwanted you'll want to leave."

"Well, I still say it's wrong!" Mum declared. She looked at me, "Help me fix some lunch, dear."

"While you do that, I'll show these two fellows to their room. Hope you don't mind sharing," Dad offered.

Harry had stood up but came to an immediate halt and proclaimed, "I don't want to share a room with _him_!" Dad turned back to face Harry in astonishment, not quite believing what he was hearing. But Harry added with a grin, "He snores!" Dad and Moony took one look at each other and broke up laughing. Harry tried to hold out but soon he was howling right along with them.

Mum nudged me and said, "Well, that's done it. Dad can't help but like him now!" Then she added quietly, "And I do too, sweetheart." I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "I wasn't worried. I knew you would. What's not to like?"

Lunch passed pleasantly. Afterwards, Mum suggested I might like to show the guys around town while they ran some errands. They disappeared and we adjourned upstairs to their room. Moony disappeared for about twenty minutes while he went to collect his belongings and return with them. Mrs. Weasley had brought mine over earlier in the day while I went to fetch Harry. While we waited for Moony to return, I showed Harry my room and the rest of the house where I had grown up. He enjoyed seeing pictures of me from childhood through teen, even if they didn't move. Mum and Dad did have some wizard photos of me, but they made it a point to keep them out of sight of any non-magicals who visited them.

We heard Moony call to us and we went to get him and headed out the door for our walking tour of the town. We don't really live in a rural area, but it is a small town, so you can pretty much see most of the town on foot. I wasn't sure it was really going to be all that interesting a sightseeing trip, but my friends insisted they did want a look around so I led the way. We were back at the house by 4:00; like I said, it's a small town and not much to see! Mum and Dad weren't home yet, and Moony looked worn out so he opted for a nap before dinnertime. Harry and I settled on the couch and I introduced him to American TV, though there wasn't much on in the afternoon worth looking at and I think it mostly just provided background noise to our conversation and snuggling.

Harry started to sit up straighter and inch away from me when Mum and Dad returned, but I caught his arm and pulled him back. "Don't worry, they won't mind," I assured him. As if to add emphasis to my words, Dad came in and sat down, pulling out his newspaper and burying himself in it after greeting us, as though teenagers snuggled up on his couch was an everyday sight.

Over dinner, my parents inquired about our exams. "De, how did you do after being sick and missing so much class work?" Both Moony and Harry glanced curiously at me, apparently getting the idea that I hadn't told my parents everything about my 'illness' in early April.

"I think I did okay," I answered. "Hermione was great about helping me get caught up, so I don't think there was a problem."

Mum came over a laid a hand on my forehead, "And you're sure you're completely over it? You're feeling all right now?"

"Mum! It was almost three months ago. I'm fine. Don't worry." I gave Harry and Moony a meaningful look and they understood not to pursue the subject.

We tried to stay up til a normal bedtime in order to get adjusted to the different time zone, but we only lasted til around 8:30 before the three of us were ready to call it a night. Once upstairs, I was saying goodnight to them from their doorway when Moony asked quietly, "Why didn't you tell them what happened in April?"

I stepped into the room and closed the door, "Because there was nothing they could do - then or now. And it would only have worried them." I sighed, "Honest, I don't keep much from them. It's just...sometimes it seems like the best thing to do. I don't want to worry them unnecessarily."

Moony came over and gave me a reassuring hug, "All right. I just wondered."

I gave him a kiss goodnight on the cheek and then stepped over and kissed Harry lightly, "See you in the morning."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Mysticah - there's got to be a _few _decent parents in the HP world... Besides, poor Harry's under enough other stress, I didn't want him to have to deal with that, too!

Chapter 18

I awoke by 6:00 and hearing no sounds from the guys' room, dressed and went downstairs. I put the water on to heat for tea and made some toast. A few minutes later, there was a tap on the door and I looked up to see Cassandra entering. I rushed over and flung my arms around her in greeting. "Welcome home, little sister," she exclaimed. "I saw you get up and hurried over." Our bedroom windows faced each other and we used to spend a lot of time communicating between windows. There was a clothesline on a pulley running between the houses that we used to send messages back and forth for most of my life.

She poured herself some tea and helped herself to some of my toast as she sat down at the table. "Okay, so spill. What's this I hear about you bringing home a werewolf?"

"Mum and Dad told you..."

"Of course they told me!" she interrupted. "Andy, for crying out loud, are you nuts? A werewolf!"

You have to remember that Cassandra is a witch and she's grown up in the wizarding world. On top of that, she's a Healer so she's probably had to treat some werewolf victims, who are facing lives as werewolves themselves. She's not really prejudiced or anything, but she knows enough to be scared of what a werewolf can do.

She was watching me closely, wondering how on earth I could justify this. So I took a deep breath and tried to make her understand, "Cass, before Remus I had never met a werewolf in human form. Like you, I would have been terrified at the thought of coming face to face with one. But knowing from Harry that Remus was okay, I could meet him and see him for what he is - one of the kindest, gentlest men I have ever known. A werewolf is what he becomes; it isn't who Remus Lupin is. Give him a chance, Cassie, and you'll see for yourself. I can say without hesitation that I absolutely adore this man."

Someone coughed in the living room and I looked up to see the man in question, coming toward the kitchen where we sat. I very much suspected he had overheard our conversation; I was well aware that he retained the more acute hearing of the wolf even when in human form. But he greeted us cheerfully and gave no indication he had heard a thing. Even so, when I introduced them, Cassie flushed pink.

"Pleased to meet you," she mumbled at his greeting. "Um, can I get you some tea?"

"That would be lovely," he smiled at her. I got up to make more toast.

"You want breakfast or do you want to wait for the others?" I asked him.

"I can wait," he replied, noting that we were only having toast.

Remus, ever one to put people at ease, said aloud, "So this is your good friend, Cassandra, who we hear so much about." He turned to her, "I understand you're a Healer."

She nodded, "I work at a wizard hospital in New York." She looked grateful that we seemed to be on safer ground conversationally.

"And do you have a specialty?" he inquired.

Before Cass knew what was happening, he had her telling him her life story. He kept her talking right up to the time Harry wandered in around 8:00. Mum and Dad weren't far behind him. I saw Cass give Remus an appraising look and I could tell he had won her over. As I had predicted, all her preconceived notions crumbled when faced with a man so intelligent, informed and completely un-werewolfish as they come.

To my very great pleasure, she and Harry hit it off well also. As far as I was concerned, the summer was a success with all my favorite people liking one another.

xxxxx

Two mornings later, Cass showed up early so only the two of us had yet made it to the kitchen, the usual gathering spot. Now that she had met Harry, she felt compelled to tease me and launched in immediately. "Well, you know, I just can't see how you fell for this Potter kid. I mean, he's not bad looking, but really!"

"Don't you start! Don't EVEN go there!" I glowered threateningly at her.

With glee she told me, "Oh, come on Andy, what's so great about him? Sure he's defeated Voldemort a few times, but really that was just luck!"

"Cass..." I warned.

But she ignored me and continued, while pouring herself some tea, "True, the green eyes are nice, but you've already admitted to _adoring_ a certain older gentleman. I think you would do much better to chase those dreamy blue eyes and forget all about Mr. Potter. I'm only telling you this as a _friend_!"

I took a swipe at her but she scooted to the far side of the table, laughing and taunting me more, "I mean that wild, unruly black hair is just awful. Why not turn your attention to Remus with his distinguished salt-and-pepper hair?" She squealed and circled the table more as I tried to reach her. "And that awful, unsightly scar on his forehead!" she exclaimed, carefully sprinting out of my reach.

"Cass, you are _so_ going to pay for this! You leave Harry alone!" I laughed, while trying to look offended and intimidating. As I got near the refrigerator in our little 'kitchen table dance', I reached in and pulled out a bottled water, unscrewing the cap with purposeful intent.

She immediately read my meaning, "Don't you dare throw that at me! You know I'm only telling you these things because I love and care about you. Wouldn't you prefer someone mature and experienced over a callow youth?" She shrieked as the cold water clipped her. "Oh, you asked for it, little girl!" she said, dashing to the sink for ammunition of her own.

I got a few good licks in while she was filling a glass with water, but then she fired back, catching me right in the face with the entire glassful. I let out a shriek, returning fire as best I could.

Suddenly, Moony dashed into the kitchen, his wand drawn. Apparently our shrieks had been louder than we intended, and hearing them from a distance it had sounded as if someone was in trouble. Once he saw the situation, he stopped and watched us ruefully. "My mistake. I heard a scream and thought someone needed help."

"Don't be silly, Remus! You can't save anyone from the Big Bad Wolf - you ARE the Big Bad Wolf," Cassandra laughed, not taking her eyes off me and barely managing to keep the table between us.

"Oh yes, of course," he said quietly and left the room.

I promptly stopped our game and watched him leave, my smile fading, while Cass looked mortified. I followed in the direction Moony had gone and found him sitting on the living room couch, pretending to read the Muggle newspaper. For a moment, I just stood in the doorway staring at him, and then I walked up behind him, reached over the couch back and wrapped my arms around him. "Oh, Moony, I'm so sorry if we hurt your feelings," I whispered.

With a slight hesitation, he reached up and patted my arm, "Don't worry about it. You didn't do anything wrong, just my silly..." He didn't finish the thought and I climbed over the couch back to sit beside him, reaching over to pull him close.

"It was really only meant to be a joke." I assured him. "Cass would never intentionally be mean to anyone. It's breaking her heart to think she hurt or offended you."

He shuddered and a tear slipped down his cheek. "Tell her it's all right. It just hit me wrong; it reminded me of what I am and what I'm not..."

"No! I won't accept that. I said it to her and I'll say it to you - a werewolf isn't who you are, it's what you become. _You_ are a wise, compassionate, kind and gentle _human being_, NOT a creature! And I refuse to tolerate _anyone_ saying differently, even you!"

He smiled weakly and put his arm around me, taking my hand in his free one. "One thing is certain, Deandra. No one has ever made me feel so loved as you do." We sat in silence for a minute and then I giggled.

He looked down at me questioningly and I explained, "Pretty ironic, actually."

"What is?"

"That whole thing in the kitchen - Cass was teasing me about Harry and pretending to try and convince me I would do better falling for you and dumping Harry. And here I sit snuggled up on the couch with you, holding hands!"

He laughed appreciatively and when I looked into his face, I was pleased to see the twinkle back in his eyes. Harry wandered sleepily into the room just then and looked at the two of us. A moment later he plunked down beside me on the couch and grumped, "So, Moony, trying to steal my girl?"

Moony laughed, "Harry, if I were twenty years younger and thought I stood ANY chance of getting her away from you, I think I'd certainly have to give it a go!" We all laughed comfortably and then I led the way to the kitchen for breakfast. Cass was not to be found and Moony asked about it.

"She's probably embarrassed and gone home," I told him. "I'll go talk to her."

"No, perhaps I should. She lives next door, right?" He pointed in the direction of one of the houses adjacent to ours. When I nodded, he headed out the back door as I explained to Harry what had happened. A short time later, he returned with Cass. I could tell she had been crying, but he had managed to put a smile back on her face with whatever he had said. She told me later that she had tried to apologize, but that he insisted it wasn't anything she had done - he told her the Big Bad Wolf was just overly sensitive sometimes.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Turned out Cass had taken time off work for the duration of my visit so she could spend time with me. She decided it would be a shame for Harry and Moony not to see some of America since it was their first trip here. We decided to start on the West Coast and work our way eastward, using Cass' car as a portkey to cover large distances. Cass and I had always loved the coastline in Oregon and Washington, and we thought they ought to sample the Muggle amusement park, Disneyland, at least once in their lives.

So bidding Mum and Dad farewell for a bit, we quickly found ourselves in northern Washington. Neither Harry nor Moony had had much opportunity for sightseeing in their lives. Though Moony had traveled quite a bit, of necessity, his life had not been such that he really explored his surroundings, so this was a first for him also. The drive along the coast was relaxing and we camped out along the way.

The Dursleys had avoided including Harry in any fun activity they did for their son Dudley, so he was like a kid in a candy shop at Disneyland. Moony found it all rather amusing, the Muggle way of entertaining themselves, but Cass refused to let him sit on the sidelines and watch 'the kids', and he soon found himself on roller coasters and the like. He tried to maintain his usual calm decorum, but I could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was enjoying it immensely and glad to have an excuse to act so young and carefree.

We also spent a day at a California beach we found, devoid of other people. None of us had swimsuits, so Harry and I just dashed into the water wearing our clothes. No matter how she tried, Cass couldn't talk Moony into joining us, so she pulled out her wand and brought the water to him - drenching him with her own small 'wave'. He sat there a moment, wiping the water from his face, then stood in one swift movement, threw Cass over his shoulder and took her out to the ocean and plunked her down, screaming, into an incoming wave.

She sputtered and laughed her way to her feet, grinning at him. "You think you're so smart, but I got you to come into the water, didn't I!"

He tried glaring at her, but couldn't hold it long and finally participated in her laughter. They joined me and Harry playing in the surf for a short while, before they returned to the towels to dry out. Remus slipped off his shirt and began wringing the water out of it. When he started to put it back on, she told him, "Heavens, leave it off and get some sun! You've got that hideous British 'white flesh'!"

He paused, then retorted, "And if I leave it off, I'll have that hideous American 'sunburned flesh'!"

She reached in her bag and triumphantly produced a bottle of suntan lotion. "SPF 25 - you have NO excuse!"

He hesitated but gave in, knowing how persistent she could be. She squirted some into his hands and he began applying it to his chest, arms and face. She watched quietly, trying not to notice the scars on his chest and arms. When he had finished, she told him, "Turn around and I'll do your back."

He sat down and turned his back to her. As she reached out to apply the lotion, she saw there were more scars on his back. She paused briefly, then gently began rubbing the lotion in. Remus seemed to sense what she was thinking and told her softly, "They're old scars. They don't hurt." Her hands put more pressure to her application, but when she was done and he turned back around, he caught her wiping away a tear, visibly shaken by what she was seeing. He couldn't think of anything to say to reassure her, so he lay down on the towel and left her to regain her composure without his notice.

Harry and I joined them a short time later, and after we had all rested, dried and lay in the sun a bit, Cass and I prepared a lunch and we departed soon after. We turned inland and portkeyed the car to Arizona for a visit to the Grand Canyon, choosing the less visited northern rim. We spent the night in a nearby campground.

During the night, Remus got up to use the toilet facilities and found Cass outside our tent, staring at the stars. He caught her attention and signalled her to follow him away from the tents so talking would not disturb Harry or me. "Are you all right?" he asked, sensing some distress in her. She hastily wiped her face, hoping he wouldn't notice in the moonlight.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Why don't I entirely believe that?" he asked gently, encouraging her to talk if she wished.

She sighed deeply and said, "The truth is, I was thinking about you - and about those scars." He waited for her to continue. "You're the first werewolf I've ever met. We've had one or two in the hospital, just after being bitten, but I never worked with them. I guess I never thought about what their lives would be like. How brutal an existence it could be..."

He tried to lighten the mood, "Oddly enough, some of those scars came from my best friends." She started and blinked at him in surprise, so he elaborated, "When I was at Hogwarts, I made three very good friends, who discovered my lycanthropy. They didn't want me to have to be alone during transformations, so they became Animagi, the only safe way they could stay with me. Two of them transformed into very large animals so they would be able to keep me under control. A few of the scars are from when they found it necessary to keep me in check. I think I actually rather like those scars because of what they represent..."

She stared at him by the faint light of the moon, "You're a remarkable man, Remus Lupin." She hesitated and then stepped close to him. Reaching up, she gently touched his cheek and then stretched up and lightly kissed him on the lips.

Remus stepped back, not expecting the contact and Cassandra flushed red, "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess that was too forward of me..."

She moved to return to her tent, but Remus caught her gently by the arm. "It just startled me," he told her softly, "but I liked it." She turned back and looked into his eyes, trying to see if he was telling the truth. When she was convinced that he was, she smiled shyly and reached up to kiss him again. This time he met her halfway, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Her arms slid up around his neck and her hands caressed his hair.

A moment later, hearing the call of nature myself, I stepped out of our tent and found them wrapped in each other's arms. "Hrmph!" I said, to draw their attention. When they guiltily turned to me, slightly pulling apart from each other, I told them, "Tsk, tsk, tsk - what kind of example are you two setting for the young people here!"

With a chuckle, Remus stepped close to Cass and replied, "Actually, we got the idea from you and Harry..." I laughed and walked away to continue my errand, and they elected to move farther away from the tents and out of sight before I returned.

After that, it wasn't unusual to find them holding hands and grinning secretively at one another. Harry and I found it all rather amusing, but were also pleased for the both of them.

We gradually worked our way back to Pennsylvania, turning up on the 23rd. Even with portkeying over the long distances, our non-stop sightseeing had left us all a bit tired and we spent the next few days just lazing around the house, occasionally playing games or watching television.

xxxxx

Early one morning a few days after our return, I was awakened by Harry crouched next to my bed. He nudged me to move over and climbed in next to me. When I looked into his eyes I knew this was not a social call. Gently I caressed his cheek, waiting for him to tell me what was troubling him. We lay there for several minutes as he struggled with his emotions. Finally he whispered, "It's begun. I saw it. He was laughing as people died..."

I pulled him close and we lay there just holding one another for a very long time. Finally, probably more than an hour later, he pulled away and slid out of bed, "I guess I better tell Moony so he can alert the Order." I sat up and nodded, rising to get dressed. Before he left, he pulled me into another tight embrace. I think he was trying to steel himself for what he knew was coming. I showered and dressed quickly, then hurried to the guys' room.

Harry was there alone and just putting his shoes on. I looked at him questioningly and he advised that Moony had Apparated to check in with Dumbledore and the Order, and to receive instructions. He had been checking in with them every few days, with no appreciable developments prior to this. "What should we tell the others?" he asked.

"Nothing for now. Let's wait and see what Moony finds out." I replied. He nodded and followed me downstairs to the kitchen. Cass was already seated at the table drinking a cup of tea. As we sat down, she glanced sideways at me and asked, "So, is it perhaps time that I have a certain little talk with you - or have Mum do it?" At first it didn't register what she was talking about, so she added, "I could have sworn I saw someone get an early morning visit to her bedroom by her boyfriend...who stayed quite awhile in the vicinity of her bed."

I flushed red and Harry choked on the bite of toast he had taken. It would have been funny under other circumstances, but not now. "We weren't doing anything we shouldn't," I told her. "...I'll explain later." My somber demeanor silenced her though she watched the two of us curiously after that.

Mum and Dad put in appearance a bit later and we set about fixing breakfast. They inquired about Remus since he was generally one of the first up, but I assured them he had just gone to run an errand and would return shortly. As if on cue, I heard a 'pop' from the living room, indicating his Apparation. Harry and I stood in unison and I told the others, "We'll be back in a minute." They watched us leave with interest, but no one asked any questions.

Moony signalled us to follow him upstairs and filled us in. The Order had become aware of the attacks taking place right about the time Remus had arrived in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore thought it best that the three of us return to Hogwarts as soon as possible rather than stay in America the full time we had intended. Moony turned to me, "What do you want to tell your parents...and Cassandra."

Up until now, nothing had really been said about the Order of the Phoenix's activities. We had explained that Moony had to check in periodically for health reasons, and no one had questioned that, including Cass since she was not that familiar with werewolf health issues. It was clear that I was going to have to tell them more of what was happening, but I still could not really reveal anything appreciable about the Order or what it did. I rubbed my forehead and said, "I'll think of something." We headed back downstairs with some reluctance.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Everyone looked up as we re-entered the kitchen, but no one spoke, waiting for us to come forward with information. Instead, I took the lead in eating my breakfast and everyone followed suit, confining the conversation to pleasant generalities. When we were done and the dishes cleared away, I suggested, "Maybe we should go into the living room to talk."

Dad, not one to beat around the bush, began, "What's going on sweetheart? Is this about Voldemort?" Dad's always been pretty perceptive. I nodded affirmation and Cassandra swept a worried glance at Remus, who was avoiding looking at her.

I took a deep breath and told them, "It looks like the war has begun. Voldemort has begun attacking non-magicals, and some wizarding families who oppose him. I've told you that Harry is a key player in the fight against him. The three of us need to return to Hogwarts at once. It will be safer for us, and you, if we are not here."

Mum was looking frightened and alarmed, but stood and folded her arms around me, "We always rather hoped he was gone for good and that you would never have to go through this. From what you've told us of Harry, and the rumors of Voldemort's return, I think we knew that was an unrealistic hope. You do what you have to do, Deandra, but by darn you stay alive!" She smiled shakily at me, trying to look threatening but completely failing at it.

Cassandra found her voice, and croaked out, "How soon do you leave?"

"As soon as we get packed," I answered softly. Mum and Dad stepped back and nodded their understanding, exuding support for me. I flung my arms around each of them and kissed them on the cheek, insisting, "I WILL see you again!"

The three of us started up the stairs and a moment later, Cass raced up behind me and followed me to my room. Helping me pack, she demanded, "Talk to me, girlfriend! What's really going on here? There's a lot more to it than you said downstairs."

I stopped putting things in my bag and faced her, "There is Cass, but I'm not at liberty to tell you." I raised a hand to halt her objection, "NOT because I don't trust you, but the decision isn't mine to make."

She suddenly collapsed on my bed, her hands to her face, choking back sobs. I could tell this was something more than concern over my well-being, so I sat down next to her and slipped an arm around her shoulders, "Sandy? What is it?"

She regained some slight control, and gasped, "I can't believe I just found him and now I'm losing him so soon." In a flash, I realized what she was talking about, "Remus?"

She nodded miserably and sat staring blindly at the floor. Then her head jerked up, "Let me come with you! Talk to whoever you have to and get them to let me come! Surely they can use a Healer in a war..."

I sighed, "Sandy, I can ask, but I can't promise what they'll say. But I'll try, I promise I'll try - though it may take a little while..."

She nodded and her jaw tightened with determination. A sound near the door drew our attention there. Remus and Harry were standing watching us; I don't know how long they had been there or how much they had heard. Hastily I stood and resumed my packing, finishing a moment later. Just as we were preparing to take our things downstairs, Dumbledore Apparated into the room. Even Moony seemed surprised to see him.

He turned to me and said quietly, "Miss Alleyan, I must speak with your parents. Under the circumstances, I think it wise to place some wards and protections on their home lest someone try to get to you and Harry through them." A chill ran down my spine, but I merely nodded and led the way back to the living room. Mum and Dad had remained there, possibly not even daring to discuss what was taking place.

They were startled to look up and see us accompanied by a man who was so clearly a wizard. I made introductions and he explained his purpose to them. They nodded understandingly; this, unfortunately, was all too familiar to them. When he had finished the charms and spells and we were preparing to depart, I stopped him for a moment and said, "Professor, this is my friend, Cassandra Wilson, who works as a Healer. Er...she would like to help us, if that is possible, sir."

He smiled benignly at me, glancing briefly at Cass and then asking, "Do you trust her, Miss Alleyan?"

Without hesitation, I told him, "Implicitly, sir. I'd trust her with my life."

There was a brief pause and then he said, "It is best that we get the three of you back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. I will consider your request and let you know." It wasn't what Cass and I, and probably Remus also, had hoped for, but it was better than nothing. We gathered in a circle and Professor Dumbledore placed the portkey spell on Harry's broom once again. We each grabbed something to carry and seized hold of the broom. A moment later, the four of us were gone from the living room.

We set down in the entry hall of the castle. Moony pushed his trunk out of the way and left with Dumbledore. Harry and I carried our belongings to Gryffindor tower. We returned to the entry hall and as there was no sign of Moony, we left him a note and headed off to headquarters with his trunk. We found other members of the Order were already gathered, so we remained there talking to them until Dumbledore and Moony showed up half an hour later.

Kingsley Shacklebolt outlined what little they knew already. The Ministry of Magic was trying to do containment, but clearly they were in over their heads, whether they realized it or not. There still seemed to be reluctance to accept the attacks for what they were, despite their grudging belief that Voldemort had returned. Dumbledore gave instructions to various members and they quickly departed. "I have a few matters to attend to as well," Dumbledore advised Harry, Moony and me, as he headed for the tunnel also. Apparating wasn't possible inside the shack itself due to the wards and charms on it, but a short distance along the tunnel it could be accomplished, as it was still outside the Hogwarts school grounds.

The three of us were left alone, uncertain what to do with ourselves. I looked at Moony, trying to determine what he was thinking and feeling, but he had his defenses up and it was hard to read him. He hadn't made any comment about leaving Cassie to return to Hogwarts, and I wondered if he felt the separation as keenly as she indicated she would. Tentatively I suggested, "Moony, feel like going for a walk around the grounds with us?"

He shook his head and said, "I think I'll just read for a bit. Dumbledore may return and need me to do something so I ought to stay available." I hated that he seemed resigned to going back to his lonely existence without complaint. I wanted him to fight for his right to be happy just like anyone else, but clearly he wasn't going to do it. I walked over and kissed his cheek before we left, hoping it would be some small comfort to him.

Harry and I wandered aimlessly, hand in hand, not even talking. There didn't seem to be anything to say at that point. What was going to happen was going to happen. We could only deal with it as it came.

Some time later as we strolled along the lake, I was surprised to see someone walking in our direction on the opposite shore. I idly wondered who was out on the school grounds when suddenly I stiffened with recognition and let out a 'whoop'. Harry snapped out of his thoughts to turn to me with some alarm, but seeing the grin on my face he looked in the direction I was wildly waving my arm. It took him a moment to recognize the person as well and then he broke into a grin as well. We both took off running around the lake, and I flung myself into Cassie's arms when I reached her. We just stood hugging and laughing for several minutes, and Harry let us enjoy our reunion.

"What happened? How did you get here?" I demanded to know when finally we broke apart.

"Dumbledore. He popped into my living room a while ago - nearly scared the life out of me. I would have hexed him if I hadn't recognized him!" she laughed. I waited impatiently for her to continue her explanation and she added, "I think maybe he wanted to talk to me privately and figure out if you were right about me. Guess I convinced him, because he had me pack some things, take care of matters at home and told me where to Apparate to. He took me to the headquarters but you two had already left. He turned me over to Remus to help me find you and give you the good news."

I hugged her again with delight. "I'm so glad he let you come!"

"Well, I'm not much of a fighter, but I hope I can be helpful." She glanced at Harry, to see his reaction and he came forward and gave her a hug as well.

"Glad to have you, Cassie," he told her warmly. And then teasingly added, "And I'm sure Moony is even happier to have you here." She swatted his arm in mock reproof, but she blushed all the same.

It was nearing dinnertime, so we returned to collect Moony and we all headed up to the castle. Since there were no students around it seemed safe to let Moony eat with us in the Great Hall.

After dinner, Dumbledore reappeared and took Cassie to meet Madam Pomfrey and explain the situation to her. They gave her a room in the hospital wing and we went to fetch her belongings from headquarters.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The next day I sought out Dumbledore and told him I'd need to get ingredients for Moony's potion as we were coming up on the full moon. He was reluctant to have me go into Hogsmeade and certainly did not want Harry to accompany me, so I suggested sending Cass and I could accompany her in owl form. Since no one knew her, it seemed likely she could safely do business. I arranged where I would meet her, transformed and set off. She Apparated to Hogsmeade from the tunnel and I met up with her a few minutes later. I had given her the list of what we needed and she decided to lay in a good supply in case we were unable to readily get more ingredients at a later time.

She willingly agreed to work with me on the potion so that she could learn to make it as well, recognizing the possibility that something could prevent me at some future point and Snape might not be available either. Remus was already starting to show signs of the approaching full moon, looking more tired and worn than usual, but having Cass nearby seemed to make the entire process easier on him. She was quite content to sit quietly with him, reading or talking. And unlike previous occasions, he didn't seem to withdraw so much within himself as he usually did when the full moon grew closer.

Nothing much changed for any of us over the next few days. We knew there was much going on in the wizarding world and that attacks were continuing almost daily. Two days after we got to Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny and Draco returned also. Mr. Weasley popped in and out, but it had been deemed safest for them to remove themselves from the Burrow. Hermione followed later that same day and told us Dumbledore had set protections on her family as well.

No one really seemed to know how everything would play out. The Order was trying to get a handle on what Voldemort might be planning, but other than seemingly random attacks, they hadn't been able to detect a pattern as to what his goal was. They knew that eventually he would seek out Harry, but were having difficulty finding out anything specific. For lack of anything better to do, Harry resurrected Dumbledore's Army out of those of us who were at the school, this time including Draco, and we spent a couple of hours each day practicing the skills we already had and trying to learn new ones that might prove useful. Any teachers that had returned to the school, or stayed there over the summer, participated on occasion to lend support and suggestions.

But mostly, all we could do was wait. We tried to go about normal activities, though being at Hogwarts in July wasn't normal for any of us. We had a small birthday celebration for Harry and that allowed us to temporarily forget about Voldemort and the shadow hanging over our lives. The full moon came and went. Cassie insisted on staying with Remus during the transformation and kept him company through the night. I think it may have been his least stressful transformation ever.

To break up the monotony a little, Ginny convinced Harry and Ron to play Quidditch against her and Draco. When Moony was feeling better, he came out to watch with Cassie and me. It was during one of these matches, that a thought occurred to me, "Hey, Sandy, what about your job in New York?"

She explained that she had taken a leave of absence for the time being since we didn't know how long things would last. For the moment it was a six-month leave. After listening to her explanation, Remus asked me curiously, "Why do you call her 'Sandy' sometimes?"

I realized we had never explained to any of them about our Andy/Sandy nicknames. "When we were much younger, we spent so much time together people said we were practically twins. Muggles tend to give their twin children similar or rhyming names and since our names are similar, we got dubbed 'Andy' and 'Sandy'. It doesn't get used by too many people anymore since they don't see us together as often, but now and then Mum and Dad or one of us will revert to those nicknames."

He smiled in amusement and turned his attention back to the game, which at present, much to Ron's astonishment, Ginny and Draco were winning. I sat there idly watching the players' attempts to score and found my mind drifted to how innocent life seemed at this very moment. "Moony," I asked softly, "what happens now? You've been through this before - what's going to happen?"

I guess he understood the basis of my question and answered, "It's hard to say. Things are very different now than they were then. The Order is better organized and prepared, and this time we have Harry, who we have every reason to believe is a definite threat to Voldemort. The last time no one knew if there even was a way to stop him. Not until a boy lived."

We all tried to go about our business and not worry about what might come, but you could always feel the underlying tension, as if we expected something to jump out at us around each corner. Sometimes I almost thought it would be a relief when things 'started' so we would have something concrete to focus on.

My birthday passed uneventfully. I had really been looking forward to turning sixteen and being legal to do magic anytime; well, at least in America. But somehow it didn't seem all that significant anymore. The thought even crossed my mind that I might not ever reach my seventeenth birthday. I hoped that wouldn't be the case, but also realized that in a war people died and it would be foolish to think none of the deaths would be of people I knew. At meals in the Great Hall, I'd look at my friends and the teachers and Dumbledore and wonder if all of them would still be here when it was over.

Late one night, after everyone had gone to bed except for me and Harry, we sat gazing at the idle fireplace in the common room. After a time, I began, "Harry, I need to ask you to do something for me."

He looked at me curiously and gave his ready reply, "Sure. Anything."

"It may not be as easy as you think. When the war reaches us, and you have to fight Voldemort, as we know you will, I want you to try very hard not to let thoughts of me intrude on what you have to do."

He was looking puzzled at what I was getting at so I elaborated, "I know you worry about me and my safety, and I appreciate that, but I don't want that to distract you at a crucial moment and cause you to fail. Because if Voldemort defeats you, then we're all as good as dead anyway."

Finally he caught my meaning and nodded. Then he told me, "You, too. Keep yourself safe. Don't do anything foolish because of me." I squeezed his hand in acknowledgement of our agreement.


	22. Chapter 22 finale

A/N: Well, here it is - the final chapter. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to all who took time to review and let me know what you did or did not like. I'm still working on a sequel to my LOTR story, No Mistake. Hopefully, I can finish that and get it posted sometime in March. Several people sent me ideas for plot lines and I am using elements of most of them, plus a couple of my own. As for Harry Potter and friends - the countdown begins to July 16th!

Chapter 22

Looking back, I think things came to a head a lot faster than anyone imagined they would. It was probably a good thing that it all happened before the students came back to Hogwarts for the new year. While the older students might have been some help, it would also have meant there were more people in danger who needed protection by the adults.

Voldemort seemed to think it important that he capture Hogwarts. Maybe he was really seeking to bring down Harry and Dumbledore and then have a clear path. Whatever his reasoning, in mid-August the school found itself under attack. It actually worked out well that the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix was located nearby. Order members could Apparate into the tunnel and were quickly on Hogwarts grounds to aid in the fight. All of us had our hands full, and there were injuries and losses sustained on both sides, though reassuringly we noted far more deaths among the Death Eaters than on our side.

After nearly a week of fighting, suddenly the Death Eaters seemed to fall back in disarray. No one was sure why until Professor Snape noted that the Dark Mark on his arm was fading away. That's when we knew that Harry must have beaten Voldemort. The only trouble was, no one had seen either Harry or Voldemort for the past day and a half, and no one knew where they were. I was in the hospital wing along with several others, including Moony. Madam Pomfrey and Cass had their hands full treating the injured. When Snape told us what was happening, naturally we asked about Harry, but no one knew anything useful.

Although I was cut and bruised, and suffering the aftereffects of two well-placed spells, I was well enough to realize what they were saying. Even though Voldemort appeared to be dead, we had no way of knowing if Harry was also. Immediately I struggled up from the hospital bed and moved toward the window. Cass made a grab for me, "Where are you going? Lay back down! They'll find him!" But I wrenched free of her grasp, transformed into an owl and was out the window.

Moony eased out of his own bed and went to stand beside her at the window, slipping an arm around her waist. "Let her go. She won't rest until she knows." Hard as it was for her, Cass did understand and reluctantly turned back to her work, urging Moony back to bed. Snape swept from the room and organized everyone available to begin searching for Harry, and Dumbledore who was also missing.

When it turned dark, most of the searchers returned to the castle to report their lack of success. Dinner was a somber affair as everyone waited to find out what had actually taken place, and who was alive and who was dead. Cassie's worry increased the longer I remained gone. She wasn't surprised that I stayed out longer than anyone else, but as the hour grew later her concern over the effect of my own injuries grew.

Hermione had sent Hedwig out looking for Harry as well, hoping that the keen vision of the owl, even in the dark, might be successful where human eyes had failed. But Hedwig returned around midnight and gave no indication she had found anything.

The first light of morning found Ron, Hermione and Ginny sprawled on the floor in a corner of the hospital ward. They had slept there during the night in order to be around if any news was received. Draco, having been injured, was in a bed nearby. Everyone awoke with a start when a loud yell was heard from the grounds below. Someone had spotted an owl returning to the castle, with a body in tow under the spell cast from a wand it was carrying.

I landed on the front lawn and Harry's body hovered slightly over the ground still under the Locomotive Spell. I transformed back to human form as eager hands of Order members reached for Harry and carried him to the infirmary, with me trailing slowly behind assisted by Tonks.

I wanted to stay awake and find out how severe Harry's injuries were, but my own overcame me and I passed out shortly after reaching the hospital. Maybe subconsciously I knew there was nothing more I could do for him, or perhaps my body had just reached its limit, but I didn't wake for about thirty-six hours. When I did, it was to be told that Harry was out of danger, though still unconscious.

Snape questioned me about where I had found him and if I had seen any sign of Dumbledore, since they had still not been able to locate the Headmaster. In a flash, it all came back to me and I whispered, "Dumbledore is dead. He was with Harry." I told them where I had found Harry and they sent searchers immediately to recover the body.

The war, for the most part, was over almost as quickly as it had begun. But we had paid a high price with some of our dearest blood. Professor McGonagall sent owls to all the students to inform them of a month's delay in starting the new school year. It was hoped the damage to the castle and elsewhere could be repaired in that time. Decisions had to be made, reorganization had to take place and we all needed time to grieve.

It took several days for Harry to awaken, and to this day I still don't think I know all the details of what happened in his final battle with Voldemort. Eventually all who were injured healed physically; school did resume with a memorial service for Dumbledore on the second day of the term. Professor McGonagall was made the new Headmistress.

And life settled down into the most order and normalcy Harry had ever experienced since coming to Hogwarts. It felt really strange, starting our final year, to try and just be normal teenagers, looking to finish school and planning our lives. I'm sure we weren't typical of the seventeen year olds who had preceded us, but we tried our best.

Later, there _were_ marriages and babies, and even some happily-ever-after. Most of the world gladly relegated Voldemort to the history books, and resumed their everyday lives as though nothing had happened. But for a great many of us, we would be forever changed.

The End


	23. Epilogue

For those who wondered, it is extremely doubtful I will go any further with this particular story. My LOTR stories are all somewhat open-ended and lend themselves to continuation if I choose to do so, but this story, in my mind anyway, has reached its conclusion. The "epilogue" is the final few paragraphs telling about their "future" in a vague way. As much as we love these stories, it is hard to keep "happily ever after" interesting. Kids and bills and gray hair just usually aren't thatcompelling to read about, and that is why most fairy tales end by simply _telling_ you they lived happily ever after rather than _detailing_ what that ever after entailed.

But I do thank you for your interest and have appreciated all the feedback. If you like LOTR, I am working on a sequel to one of my stories (which hopefully I will actually complete) and have even considered continuing the others later, if I come up with a workable idea. You can either keep an eye on the "Just In" page or put me in your Author Alert list and you will be notified by e-mail when I post something new.

Thanks again!


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